A worn out threat

The National Transport Union-Alliance of Progressive Labor (NTU-APL) denounces the threat made last week by Maria Elena Bautista, Land Transportation and Franchising and Regulatory Board Chief that public utility jeepneys and buses, which will be caught transporting participants joining protests rallies and activities against the government, will have to face franchise cancellation.

"This is pure and simple harassment and a clear infringement of our basic human rights. Bautista seems to be unaware of or is completely ignoring the legitimate and inherent right of every citizen to seek redress from government, to air grievances, and to hit the streets to express their sentiment and this include the right of drivers and operators to allow participants in protest actions to use their public utility vehicles. If Bautista does not understand this, then she has no right running the LTFRB or any public office for that matter," Manuel Duran, President of NTU said.

The LTFRB has been resorting to this threat every time transport groups join protest activities especially if these are transport strikes. Only last April, the LTFRB announces the same against drivers and operators of public utility vehicles that joined the nationwide transport strike seeking transport fare increases.

"The government's motive is obvious. It wants to sow fear among the drivers and operators and prevent the protesters to converge in a public venue where they will hold their protest action against the government. However, we say that this tactic of the government is already worn out and will never cow us especially if
the government continue to be insensitive to our interests," Duran added.

The group said that the government is more desperate now in trying to clamp down on protesters as President Arroyo faces serious questions of legitimacy in running the government and the possible end of her rule due to severe accusations of election fraud while her family is continuously being investigated for alleged involvement in jueteng scandal or illegal gambling pay-offs amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos.

The NTU-APL calls on other transport groups to defy the threat of the LTFRB as it vows to support the struggle of the Filipino people for a government that will truly represent the interests and will of the majority who are poor.