Transport group PISTON said the escalating feud between the Marcos faction and the Duterte faction, the two current dominant forces in the government, should not distract from their accountability for the plight of Filipinos, especially informal transport workers.
Duterte and his allies notoriously pushed for the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, or PUVMP, during his term, and Marcos remains out of touch with the transport sector’s struggles amid recent numerous strikes demanding the scrapping of the said program.
The public display of animosity between the two erstwhile allies shows that their political ambitions outweigh the more urgent issues facing Filipinos.
“Both factions clearly want to outdo each other in power, because they both represent the ruling class in the country,” PISTON National President Mody Floranda said.
“Instead of immediately and directly addressing the needs of the Filipinos, especially the transport sector that still faces grave danger even with the meager extension given to our jeeps, it seems that Marcos and Duterte are only competing on who will get the kickbacks from the modernization program and other schemes of the government,” Floranda added.
PISTON urges all jeepney and other PUV drivers and operators, and the rest of the Filipino people not to be deceived by the ruling factions’ political maneuvers.
“The true unity is in the solidarity of the Filipino people as we collectively advance our national and democratic interests,” Floranda said.