CEBU CITY -- The second day of transport strike was scratched here on Tuesday but flow of traffic was disrupted by thousands of protesters from different parts of the Visayas who converged in the city for “Lakbayan.”
Greg Perez of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) - Cebu said they decided to suspend the jeepney strike on Tuesday to give way to the “hunger rally” organized by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) - Visayas, adding that their strike would just be another exercise in futility anyway.
Perez said Piston-Cebu is not joining the rally but is not forbidding their members to take part in the protest participated in mostly by farmers and fisherfolk from Cebu, Negros Oriental, Bohol, and Leyte.
Jaime Paglinawan of Bayan-Visayas said Monday’s “little” march rally was actually just a kick-off of their much larger movement to be held at the Plaza Independencia, where there would be cultural and solidarity activities, among others.
“The government should focus on poverty alleviation instead of phasing out old passenger jeepneys,” Paglinawan said in Cebuano.
The “hunger rally” and protest march were carried out as part of “Lakbayan” which also calls for the holding of a summit.
Over 700 members of Bayan, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Kadamay, Anakbayan, and other cause-oriented groups from other parts of the Visayas arrived in Cebu on Monday night for the summit.
City Councilor Dave Tumulak, deputy mayor for police matters, said the summit organizers had earlier coordinated with the city government and he was informed that at least 4,000 people are expected to join.
“As long as they can ensure a peaceful gathering, we would not prevent them from doing their activities,” Tumulak said.
Cebu City Police Office Director Joel Doria, for his part, said uniformed and plainclothes policemen have been deployed to monitor the rallyists and that they would exercise maximum tolerance in dealing with them. (PNA)
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