Jeepney drivers under Piston and other public utility vehicle drivers trooped to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) central office in Quezon City on Thursday to assert their share in the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
Piston claimed that most of the drivers have not received any assistance from the government since the lockdown began in March.
“Ang hindi po natin maintindihan ay kung bakit tinanggalan na nga kami ng pasada, pinagkakaitan pa kami ng ayuda,” said Piston secretary-general Ruben Baylon, who added that they will take part in the #SoNAgkaisa protest on July 27 along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.
The drivers added that it is not clear to them where the more than P200 million allocated by the government for the SAP implementation went.
“Milyon-milyon na pala ang inilaan ng gobyernong Duterte sa ayuda, pero ni ho ni ha wala kaming natanggap,” Baylon said. “Kaya’t itinulak kami ng kalagayan na lumabas at magtipon dito sa DSWD dahil palagay namin ay di kami pinapakinggan at talaga namang bulag ang gobyerno sa busabos naming kalagayan sa gitna ng pandemya.
Piston asserted that while drivers were asking for financial help, their main call is to allow jeepneys to resume operations in all routes and not to proceed with plans to phaseout old jeepneys.
“Panahon na upang singilin si Duterte sa kanyang kapabayaan sa drayber, opereytor at mamamayan. Magkaisa tayong lahat at sigurado ang ating tagumpay,” Baylon said. (Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz)
