Group to hold two-day transport strike in Bicol

MANILA, Philippines - A group of public utility drivers and operators in Bicol is set to conduct a two-day transport strike in the entire region on July 29 to 30. Joel Ascutia, chairman of the Concerned Drivers and Operators for Reform (CONDOR- Bikol), said on Sunday that they are hoping to paralyze 95 percent of the transport routes with their strike. “But we can raise this to 100 percent if other groups that have been pressured by administration politicians join us in the strike," he said. Ascutia said the strike is to protest the government’s refusal to remove the expanded value added tax (EVAT) on oil and its inaction to repeal the Oil Deregulation Law. “The VAT and the Oil Deregulation Law should both be immediately scrapped to alleviate the plight of the transport sector and consumers," he said. Ascutia said they are urging all drivers in the Bicol region to join the transport strike. “We must act now or suffer more consequences of the greed of the Big Three oil companies," he said, referring to Shell Philippines, Chevron (formerly Caltex) and Petron Corporation. - D'Jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV