The United Drivers and Operators Center will push through with their protest caravan in Bacolod City today despite appeals from the mayor to defer their action, during a meeting with the transport leaders yesterday.

Mayor Monico Puentevella yesterday said he asked UNDOC secretary general Diego Malacad that instead of holding a rally, he would like to meet with them on Saturday at the annex building of the government center together with other transport groups so he could listen to their demands and concerns.

But Malacad said they are pushing through with the protest caravan that will be joined by 27 transport associations affiliated with UNDOC. It will start from the Capitol Lagoon to the Land Transportation Office and will end at the Bacolod City Government Center, he said.

UNDOC is joining a nationally coordinated protest led by the Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide, which he said, has been fighting for the cause of the drivers for 42 years.

Malacad said they are demanding for the reduction in the prices of fuel by P6 and are exposing the money making scheme of the Land Transportation Office, Department of Transportation Commission, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, to prevent the money from being used for election campaign.

They have also submitted their petition against Bacolod Traffic Authority Office head Reynaldo Ebreo to PISTON for his alleged violation of several City Ordinances, he said.

Puentevella said the protest will not resolve any problem and he cannot just allow one group to dictate to him. He will make a decision after he meets with all the transport groups, he said.

If the city has done them wrong, they will apologize. He does not see the rally as a solution if they want to dispose of someone from his administration, he said.

Puentevella said whatever his people have done, whether right or wrong, he will take responsibility for them.

He said Malacad also demanded that the North Terminal be closed but he has to seek legal advice from the City Legal Office because it is covered by an agreement and he does not want to face charges before the Ombudsman.

Malacad said they are launching the protest as an opening salvo in time with the opening of the MassKara Festival to show that there is injustice done against them. If the city will not entertain their problem, they will continue their protest throughout the festival, he said.

He clarified that they are not against the 45-day traffic experiment conducted by the BTAO but are only complaining against routes being imposed that are not applicable.

If they want to ease traffic in the downtown area why let the Alangilan, Handumanan, Granada, and Sta. Fe routes pass in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral? Malacad asked.

He also asked why are they being made to pass by the Vendor’s Plaza when there are no passengers there.

Malacad said the Bacolod Traffic Authority Council should be composed of all the stakeholders. Instead, it is composed of Ebreo, gasoline owners and Chinese businessmen and that they are not being consulted when they also have proposals to present.

They did not attend the public hearing conducted by the Committee on Transportation led by Councilors Noli Villarosa and Wilson Gamboa Jr. yesterday because it would be useless since the BTAO already came up with a recommendation without consulting them, he said.

Ebreo said he has not received any complaint against him and he should be furnished a copy so he could react.

He said he is co-terminus with the mayor and he respects Puentevella’s stand. He also abides by his marching orders. If the drivers do not want to be apprehended, they should not violate traffic rules, he said.

Villarosa said he believes they could resolve the problems raised by the drivers. They might call for another hearing before they finalize the ordinance.

Gamboa pointed out that they did not put a timeline on the traffic experiment and only required the BTAO and Traffic Management Unit to submit a weekly report because they are in the process of amending the ordinance.

Elizabeth Katalbas, Federation of Bacolod Drivers Association president, said they are not joining the rally of UNDOC since they were not informed about it. However, the drivers are united against Ebreo, she said.

Katalbas requested during the hearing that jeepneys plying the Abada-Escay route be spared from having to pass through the government center and that those plying the Sta. Fe route be allowed to again pass through the Gonzaga Street, which she claimed has not been decongested since it has become a parking area of private vehicles.*CGS

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