By ROGER M. BALANZA
A transport leader yesterday pooh-poohed reports of a massive transport strike today with Mindanao’s two key transport groups shunning the action.
Carlos “Toto” Cirilo, spokesman of the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO), on television also said various transport groups would be backing the transport strike, the first this year amid a new upward surge in prices of gasoline and oil.
But Maning Duran, chair of the Southeastern Mindanao Diversified Drivers and Operators Cooperative (SEMDDCO), said his group would not be joining the strike.
Duran said the nationwide strike called by ACTO barely scratched issues raised by transport groups in Mindanao. The issues raised by ACTO mostly involved issues related to certain policies by the Metro Manila Development Authority, said Duran, although admitting they support some of the demands particularly on fare hikes and gasoline prices.
The moderate SEMDDOC is a major influence on transport issues in Mindanao like the progressive Transmission, which also announced yesterday it is not joining the strike.
Duran said ACTO has a lean membership in Mindanao especially in the Davao Region, and predicted there would be normal transport situation today.
He said he had just arrived from Manila to attend an ACTO meeting where it was decided today’s strike would be limited in the capital region, with follow-up strikes to be participated by Mindanao and the Visayas.
The last transport strike here was held on December 12 last year spearheaded by Transmission. The strike, which was not joined by SEMDDOC, fizzled out by noon.
Duran said he anchored his prediction about today’s strike ending up in failure on the non-participation of his group and Transmission.
Filed under: Transport strike | Tagged: semddoc, strike, transmission, transport
