Leaders of transport groups in Bacolod City aired their disappointment at the failure of Regional Director Richard Osmeña of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to attend a scheduled dialog to listen to their grievances on Tuesday, March 22.
Osmeña, however, sent LTFRB representatives to listen to their concerns and promised to join a dialog with them early next week.
The transport leaders said the decrease in fuel prices on Tuesday was not enough to mitigate previous increases.
Gasoline prices decreased by P5.45 per liter, diesel by P11.45, and kerosene by P8.55 on Tuesday but could go up again next week.
The transport leaders had called off their two-day transportation strike on Monday after Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya and Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod Parytlist) raised their concerns before the House Committee on Transportation and arranged for the Tuesday meeting.
Paduano, who also expressed his disappointment at Osmeña’s failure to arrive, said he sent LTFRB representatives in charge of the Pantawid Pasada Program to the meeting.
Osmeña was unable to attend the Bacolod meeting Tuesday due to short notice and a prior engagement but he has committed to join a dialog with the transport leaders early next week, Paduano said.
Meanwhile, the demands raised by the drivers Tuesday will be submitted to Osmeña and the LTFRB national officials, Paduano said.
The transport leaders reiterated the need for the LTFRB to come up with a list of legitimate beneficiaries of its P6,500 subsidy to mitigate the effects of the series of oil price increases.
They asked that the distribution of the subsidies be put on hold until an official list of drivers and operators is finalized, Albert Villanueva, Sentrong Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Negros (SStone) chairman, said.
Diego Malacad, United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (UNDOC) secretary general, said “we were fooled again” with Osmeña’s non appearance.
He said they are disappointed because the LTFRB representatives who attended the meeting could not answer their concerns.
The leaders of the transport groups and Paduano were angry at his non appearance, Malacad said.
Elizabeth Katalbas, Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Associations (FEBACDA) president, said she did not believe that Osmeña would be at the meeting Tuesday but he promised to attend a dialog in Bacolod next week.
His representatives listened to their concerns but could not make any decisions, she said.
Former Rep. Alfredo Albee Benitez said there has to be a solution to the concerns of the drivers.
Fare rates have not been increased so there has to be some subsidy from the national government, Benitez said.
“What would be ideal is a blanket subsidy on all oil imports…to cushion the drastic increase of fuel prices” which is affecting everybody, he said.*