Masyadong naliitan si House deputy minority leader at ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio sa pisong dagdag-pasahe sa gitna ng napakataas na presyo ng diesel na pangunahing ginagamit ng transport sector.
Kasabay nito, sinabi ni Tinio na sinsusuportahan nila ang tatlong araw na transport strike ng Manibela mula sa araw na ito na sasamahan ng grupong PISTON mula bukas hanggang sa September 30.
“The P1 fare hike can help our drivers and operators, but it is too little, too late against the skyrocketing price of oil. Every day, our jeepney and bus drivers watch their net income shrink as pump prices surge, while government refuses to lift a finger to provide genuine relief,” ani Tinio.
Sa kasalukuyan ay umaabot na sa P102 ang kada litro ng diesel na iniinda, hindi lamang ang mga transport sector kundi maging ang sektor lalo na ang mga consumers dahil binabawi ng mga negosyante sa presyo ng mga bilihin lalo na ang pagkain ang gastos ng mga ito sa krudo.
Subalit sa kabila nito, ayaw tanggalin ng gobyerno ang excise tax sa diesel at maging sa gasolina dahil ang makikinabang umano dito ang mga mayayaman bagay na kinondena ng militanteng mambabatas.
“What is needed now is the immediate suspension of the excise tax and the 12% VAT on oil products. These taxes inflate the price of every liter of fuel that our drivers purchase. Suspending them will provide immediate, substantial, and across-the-board relief not only for transport workers but for all consumers reeling from the endless price increases,” ani Tinio.
Kasabay nito, binalaan ng mambabatas ang state forces sa anumang aksyon na gagawin ng mga ito para iharass ang mga public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers at operators para pigilan ang mga ito na gamitin ang kanilang karapatan na magprotesta.
“I warn the police and other state forces: do not harass or prevent our drivers from expressing their legitimate grievances. Raising concerns over their livelihood and the soaring cost of fuel is not a crime—it is a right enshrined in the Constitution. Any move to silence or coerce striking drivers will not go unanswered,” ani Tinio.
Hindi rin nagustuhan ni Tinio ang bansa ng Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) na pagmumultahin ang mga operators at kakasuhan ang mga ito ng kasong administrative bukod multang P5,000 kapag hindi ipinamasada ang kanilang sasakyan sa gitna ng transport strike.
“Instead of threatening drivers and operators with fines and franchise cancellations, the LTFRB and the government should address the root of the strike: unbearably high fuel prices and a fare hike that fails to cover drivers’ daily losses. Penalizing drivers for asserting their rights only deepens the injustice they already suffer,” anang mambabatas.
“The people’s patience is running out. Suspend the excise tax and VAT on oil now, and listen to the just demands of our transport workers before the crisis worsens,” dagdag pa nito. (Bernard Taguinod)
