Piston slammed the Land Transport Authority (LTO) for its dirty and cowardly tactics following the impounding of multiple public utility vehicles (PUV) intended to transport protesters to the November 30 anti-corruption rallies.
The group demanded the immediate release of the vehicles, labeling the crackdown a deliberate sabotage of the people’s constitutional right to assemble and express grievances.
“We vehemently condemn these actions. Instead of heeding the people’s demands, the government chose to block, apprehend, and impound vehicles to cripple the mobilization last November 30,” Piston national president Mody Floranda said. “It is unjust to punish our countrymen who are seething with anger over rampant corruption. Every peso stolen by the corrupt is a peso denied to public services. It is only right and just for the people to protest.”
According to reports, authorities flagged down and impounded vehicles across multiple areas, effectively stranding participants bound for Luneta and EDSA:
- Novaliches (bound for Luneta): four jeepneys, one L300
- Along EDSA: one van
- Rizal (bound for Luneta): three jeepneys
- Cavite (bound for Luneta): four jeepneys
- Lipa (bound for EDSA): seven vans
The vehicles have been held for nealrly a week under charges of “colorum”. Piston denounced these charges as a flimsy excuse used to harass drivers and operators standing in solidarity with the anti-corruption movement.
The group highlighted the exorbitant fines imposed on the drivers, ranging from P12,000 for jeepneys and as high as P200,000 for vans and L300s.
“This is blatant robbery and harassment of the poor,” Floranda said. “Fighting corruption is not a crime. The real crime is weaponizing power and traffic laws to gag the citizens.”
Piston vowed to continue resisting these restrictive measures, calling for the scrapping of the fabricated and exorbitant dines and the immediate release of the impounded vehicles.
“Release all impounded vehicles. Fight corruption. Uphold the right to free speech,” Floranda concluded.