Transmision: ‘Fuel subsidy is pure gimmick’

Davao City-  The nationwide distribution of smart cards meant to give discounts to fuel purchased by public utility jeepney drivers was met with a protest action by drivers and operators under the progressive Transmision-Piston today.

The protest action staged along Shell gasoline station along Bajada corner Torres St., this city reiterates the driver and operators’ clamor to scrap oil deregulation law and the Value Added Tax imposed on petroleum products.

According to Edil Gonzaga, Secretary-General of Transmision-Piston, “the fuel subsidy is useless and indeed a waste of people’s money. It’s a gimmickry intends to deodorize PNoy’s administration who is clearly favoring big oil companies.”

Gonzaga cited that only a few days after the announcement P-Noy on the said fuel subsidy, the oil price rose twice with an increase of almost P2 per liter.

“Now we see that this fuel subsidy is useless,” he said.

Transmision expressed its support to the proposed repeal of the oil deregulation law in the congress saying this is a more substantive move to bring down the oil price.

The group also expressed its support to the ratification of the P125 wage increase bill being pushed by the progressive partylists in congress.

Gonzaga added, “ If P-Noy really wants  to alleviate the hardship of the people, he must have a political will to approve the legislated wage hike. But, we all know that P-noy, just like the previous administration is inutile in favoring the marginalized sectors.”

The smart card being distributed to selected drivers will give P1.00 discount to every 1 liter purchase of gas and diesel. “It is not even enough to cover the increase imposed by oil corporations this April,” Gonzaga lamented.

He said, “We want a long-term solution to the economic turmoil we all bear. Enough of fooling the people of gimmickry like that of the fuel subsidy.” 

Bayan upholds legitimacy and urgency of transport strike

STATEMENT

April 20, 2009

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan believes in the legitimacy and urgency of the transport strike that the public transport sector as headed by TRANSMISSION-PISTON will hold on April 29. Rooting on the legitimacy of the calls to abolish DOTC Order No. 38 and 39 plus the calls to scrap Oil Deregulation Law, it is urgent that a higher form of opposition such as transport strike be done and supported by other sectors and the riding public ourselves.

High time as it is, the public transport sector needs to act strongly against DO 39 as such implementation is unjust and abusive. The implementation has not only bypassed due processes and the right of the drivers and operators to be consulted, the objectives are clear in using the public transport sector as a milking-cow of the Arroyo administration to suffice its needed funds for the 2010 election. The vulnerable condition of the sector to traffic rule violations is clearly being maximized for income generation which made the Land Transportation Organization (LTO) as the 4^th most income generating government agency under the Arroyo administration.

In the 1st quarter of 2009, LTO was able to generate an income of P2.8 B from the fees it has collected from the public transportation sector and is set to collect P10 B more by the end of 2009. Add to this the Road User’s Tax which already amounted to P51 B in the past 7 years that LTO has been collecting such tax. There is also the 12% Value Added Tax which is estimated to amount to P81 B for 2009. While the government is earning this much from the public transportation sector, nothing has been done to improve the traffic situation in the country.

Not a single motive would explain that DO 38 and 39 is meant to deter traffic rule violations and vehicular accidents. DOTC’s own study of the traffic situation in the country does not show positive changes by its implementation of penalties and fees. In fact, it admits that the traffic situation is worsening over the years. And for it to say that additional penalties and fees are necessary to resolve the problem is way-off illogical and purely a tall tale statement.

We stand against DO 38 and 39 on ground that the country’s perennial problem on traffic necessitates deeper understanding of a traffic system under a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. Traffic violations and vehicular accidents are worsening basically because the conditions of the streets and highways in almost all parts of the country are sub-standard and not proportionate to the large number of vehicles that are on the streets in a day-to-day basis. This is to emphasize that the rampant corrupt practices in the biddings and implementation of the government’s infrastructure projects have been sacrificing the convenience and safety of the drivers and the riding public.

There is more that confronts the ordinary public transportation drivers in today’s situation. Burdened by numerous and redundant fees, the everyday threat of oil price hikes makes life even harder for the drivers. Amidst the worsening global economic crisis that is already causing the prices of basic commodities and services to become more unaffordable for Filipinos from all walks of life, the implementation of D0 38 and 39 is absolutely absurd and inhuman.

The track record of the Arroyo government, the DOTC and LTO on corruption makes the implementation of DO 38 and 39 more unacceptable. Within their turfs, corruption is rampant and undeniable. Thus, the people will not stop from getting more vigilant against corruption and anti-people policies of the Arroyo government. We stand firm in saying:

Abolish DOTC Dept. Order 38 ug 39!

Scrap Oil Deregulation Law!

Oust Gloria Arroyo!

Bayan supports call to abolish DO 39, hits corruption of the Arroyo government

Press Release

April 3, 2009

Davao City – Bagong Alyansang Makabayan registers here today its support for the abolition of Department Order 2008-39 saying “the policy should be abolished at all costs on grounds that it is unjustifiable, abusive, and highly susceptible to corruption of no less than the Arroyo government.”

“The implementation of DO 39 is obviously a conspired effort of Malacanang, the Department of Transportation and Communication, and the Land Transportation Office to satisfy their greed for money and suffice the funds needed by Gloria Arroyo to maintain her influence and post beyond 2010,” Bayan-Southern Mindanao Region spokesperson John Birondo said.

“DO 39 will not deter traffic violations of PUJ and PUB drivers as it does not address the root cause of the problem. These violations are results of the drivers’ poor education on traffic rules. This is to emphasize the fact that the corrupt practices in LTO allow the drivers to have their licenses without undergoing the necessary seminars and examinations,” Birondo stressed.

“Who among us does not know about the fixers that are rampantly operating within the LTO? And who among us would believe that the officers of LTO are unaware of these corrupt practices within their turf?” Birondo raised.

“The track record of Gloria Arroyo, DOTC, and LTO on corruption would explain the need for the abolition of DO 39. This is aside from the fact that DO 39 is nonsensical and a redundancy of existing laws such as EO 128,” Birondo added.

The Office of the Ombudsman recently tagged the five most graft-prone agencies in government which included the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the list. “It is an understatement to claim that these government agencies are prone to corruption for they are actually doing corruption,” Birondo said.

“The drivers can no longer bare the burdens added to them by this unjust implementation not only because economic crisis is worsening but basically because they have long been exploited of their poor situation,” Birondo added.

“From the burdens of high oil prices, undue taxes, unaffordable prices of basic commodities, lack of social benefits, and redundant penalties, how do we expect our poor drivers to survive?” Birondo said.