Nina ROMMEL P. TABBAD at CHITO A. CHAVEZ, at ulat nina Leonel M. Abasola at Roy C. Mabasa
Ipinaaresto kahapon ng Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court (QCMTC) si George San Mateo, ang presidente ng Pinag-Isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON), dahil sa pagpapasimuno ng transport strike sa bansa noong Pebrero.
Nagpalabas ng warrant of arrest si QCMTC Branch 43 Judge Don Ace Mariano Alagar laban kay San Mateo matapos makitaan ng probable cause ang reklamo ng Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) na paglabag sa Section 20 (9k) ng Commonwealth Act No. 146 (The Public Service Act).
Ayon sa LTFRB, dati nang nagbabala ang ahensiya sa PISTON at sa Stop and Go transport coalition na bawal magsagawa ng tigil-pasada, alinsunod na rin sa mga probisyon ng umiiral nilang prangkisa.
Gayunman, bago pa makapasok sa Quezon City Hall of Justice para makapagpiyansa ng P4,000 ay inaresto na si San Mateo ng mga operatiba ng Quezon City Police District (QCPD), at dinala sa QCPD-Station 10 sa Kamuning para sumailalim sa booking procedures.
Nagkaroon pa ng bahagyang kaguluhan nang pigilan ng ilang tagasuporta ni San Mateo ang mga pulis sa pagdakip sa kanya.
Ibinalik din siya ng mga pulis sa Hall of Justice para magpiyansa.
Una nang kinondena ni San Mateo ang tinawag niyang mga gawa-gawang kaso laban sa kanya at ang aniya’y “crackdown” laban sa mga jeepney driver at operator.
TIMING KINUWESTIYON
Matatandaang itinakda ng PISTON nitong Disyembre 4 at 5 ang panibagong tigil-pasada laban sa jeepney modernization program, subalit iniurong ito nitong Linggo upang bigyang-daan ang alok ni Senator Grace Poe na maglabas ng kanilang hinaing sa Senado bukas, Disyembre 7.
Kaugnay nito, duda naman sa Poe sa “timing” ng ipinalabas na warrant of arrest laban kay San Mateo.
“Although we respect the independence of the courts, the timing of the release of the arrest warrant is suspect and casts doubt on the intent of the complainant in filing such charges. The PUV modernization program should be borne from a democratic process and not from underhanded tactics. After all, it is through the labor and industry of these jeepney drivers and operators that our commuters are able to travel from one point to another despite the failure of the government to provide better mass transportation options,” sabi ni Poe.
“PISTON and other transport groups have agreed to a dialogue called by my committee on Monday. With their entire livelihood at stake, the least we can do is hear them out,” dagdag ni Poe. “Moving forward, let us give them and other stakeholders a chance to explain so that we can resolve their issues together.”
TIGIL-PASADA BAWAL
Depensa naman ng Malacañang, malinaw na nilabag ng grupo ni San Mateo ang Certificate of Conveyance na iniisyu sa mga operator ng mga pampublikong sasakyan.
“They were warned that although there is freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, it is limited in the case of holders of certificates of public convenience because the law says so and the law metes the penalty,” sinabi ni Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque sa press briefing sa Malacañang kahapon.
“I think he was warned that as a holder of a franchise, a certificate of public convenience. It is criminal and it is illegal for them to participate in any tigil pasada,” sabi pa ni Roque.
