Transport strike ‘generally peaceful’ so far — PNP

The Philippine National Police described as "generally peaceful" Monday’s transport strike by militant groups protesting against high fuel prices. PNP chief Deputy Director General Nicanor Bartolome was quoted as saying in a radio dzBB report by Benjie Liwanag Jr. that no untoward incident was reported so far connected to the activity. The PNP has deployed 5,000 personnel to strategic areas to ensure peace and order during the strike, which started Sunday midnight and will last until 5 p.m. Monday. LTFRB chairman Jaime Jacob said he did not think the strike paralyzed public transport.

"(T)ingin namin di naging malawakan o di naparalisa ng tigil pasadang ito ang karamihan na lugar sa ating bansa (We do not think the strike affected many places)," he said in an earlier interview on dzBB radio. Meanwhile, the transport strike was hardly felt in Cebu City as major transport groups chose not to take part in it. A report by dzBB's Cebu affiliate said local militant groups held rallies in the city to question the Oil Deregulation Law, which they blamed for high prices of fuel. President Benigno Aquino III, after meeting with transport leaders last week, had ordered the review of the Oil Deregulation Law. In Davao City, dzBB's Davao affiliate reported the strike did not fully paralyze public transport, contrary to the claim of local militants that up to 90 percent of public transport there was paralyzed. — KBK, GMA News