Two-day transport holiday in Panay starts

Militant transport groups started shortly after midnight on Sunday a two-day transport holiday in parts of Western Visayas, hoping to paralyze public transport there by 90 percent. However, not all groups cooperated with the transport holiday as some public vehicles still plied their routes as of early Monday, according to a report on radio dzBB's Iloilo affiliate. The groups taking part in the strike that began at 12:01 a.m. on Monday included jeep, tricycle, taxi and banca operators in Capiz, Aklan and Iloilo. The participants in the transport holiday had been calling for economic relief, including the scrapping of the value-added tax on fuel products. However, some drivers, including bus operators going between Iloilo and Guimaras, were still plying their routes as of 7:00 a.m. Monday, the report said. Meanwhile, the Iloilo City Hall and Provincial Capitol adopted a business-as-usual stance, with City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog declaring a "no work no pay" policy. The city and provincial governments and the local Department of Public Works and Highways dispatched vehicles to help stranded commuters, with the Iloilo City government dispatching 10 e-jeeps. On the other hand, the local police and Army remained on alert against possible attempts by some groups to sabotage the transport holiday. - VVP, GMA News