Starting just about now, members of PISTON will wage a nationwide transport strike to demand an reprieve from intolerable oil price increases. Read this news item for PISTON’s statement.

The Catholic bishop of Bacolod has expressed support to the striking drivers, saying in a statement:

Let us call for immediate government intervention to cushion the impact of oil price increases on basic commodities, seek the scrapping of the 12-percent reformed value-added tax and the Oil Deregulation Law, the reclaiming of control of Petron and nationalization the oil industry.

Drivers in Iloilo and General Santos cities have assured PISTON of their participation.

Unfortunately, the knee-jerk response of the government is to criminalize the striking drivers.

This strike is not for a fare hike — although the drivers fully deserve to be granted one — but about our national demand for economic relief. The drivers deserve our full support.