By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The first day of the three-day transport strike was generally peaceful and orderly, with no untoward incidents monitored, the Philippine National Police said Thursday.
‘We attribute this orderly conduct of the transport strike to the close coordination and cooperation among transport groups, law enforcement agencies, and other government offices,’’ Philippine National Police (PNP) acting chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement.
He said the PNP will continue to monitor the next two days of the transport strike and provide assistance to commuters who will be affected.
“Hindi natin pipigilan ang mga protesta pero nakaalalay lamang tayo upang mapanatili itong mapayapa (We are not going to stop the protests but we will be ready to assist in ensuring they remain peaceful),” he said.
Reports said transport group Manibela ended its three-day strike on Thursday instead of Friday.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said the strike only had minimal disruption that was addressed by the deployment of augmentation vehicles.
“Deployment of augmentation vehicles, close monitoring of traffic chokepoints, and swift response teams were all part of the contingency plan. Our duty is to the riding public. Strikes must never paralyze the lives of ordinary Filipinos,” said Guadiz.
For his part, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Acting District Director Col. Randy Glenn Silvio said more than 1,000 personnel have been deployed to secure the three-day nationwide transport strike of various transport groups.
The deployment covers key convergence points and vital thoroughfares across Quezon City, strategically distributed as follows: mobile patrol units for rapid response and area visibility; motorcycle units for quick maneuvering in narrow and congested roads; foot patrols in public transport terminals, commercial areas, and rally sites; traffic assistance units to manage vehicular flow and assist commuters; checkpoints/border control points to monitor and secure city entry and exit routes; Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) teams on standby to maintain order during mass actions; Drone Units for aerial monitoring and real-time situational awareness; and the District Reactionary Standby Support Force (DRSSF) for reinforcement in case of untoward incidents.
The QCPD has also rolled out Libreng Sakay (free rides) operations to assist stranded commuters and ensure that workers, students, and the commuting public reach their destinations despite the strike. Police vehicles were utilized in key areas to provide immediate relief to affected commuters.
Silvio assured the public that the QCPD will exercise maximum tolerance while safeguarding both commuters and transport groups staging the protests.
The transport strikes stemmed from the outrage against alleged corruption in flood control projects.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. already called for an investigation into anomalous flood control projects, even creating an Independent Commission for Infrastructure which will look into the anomalies.
Several government agencies, as well as the Senate and the House of Representatives, have also initiated their respective investigations. (PNA)
