It is deeply concerning that LTFRB Chairperson Guadiz has openly stated their plans to specifically target PUV routes operated by PISTON members in their upcoming crackdown on unconsolidated jeepneys this week. This crackdown has been sanctioned by DOTr Secretary Bautista and Bongbong Marcos himself.
It is chilling to hear Chairperson Guadiz discuss these plans with such nonchalance in a media interview, seemingly without regard for the devastating impact on the livelihoods of drivers and small operators, as well as the millions of commuters who still rely on jeepneys as their primary mode of public transportation.
The Marcos administration is openly disregarding the public’s outcry and is willing to take any measures to benefit their big corporate allies who seek to drastically reduce our public transport system, corporatize, and monopolize PUV routes that have long been the domain of small drivers and operators.
The specific targeting of PISTON is a blatant attack on organized labor and the fundamental right of workers in the public transport sector to organize. It is worth noting that the Marcos administration’s record of labor rights violations and attacks on freedom of association is currently being addressed at the International Labour Conference (ILC) of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
This crackdown only serves to highlight the Marcos administration’s status as an enemy of public transport and its complete disregard for the welfare of the commuting public. The government’s actions demonstrate a callous indifference to the struggles of millions of Filipinos who rely on affordable and accessible public transportation to go about their daily lives.