Shooting of tranport leader proof of Arroyo-Big Three collusion – KMU, PISTON

Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno and transport group Piston (Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide) condemned what was obviously an Arroyo-Big Three collusion in the shooting of a Bicol tranport leader during the coordinated transport strike yesterday.

Joel Ascutia, president of Condor-Piston-Bicol and Piston secretary-general, was shot around 200 meters away from the police station by two gunmen riding a motorcycle while he was preparing for yesterday’s transport strike against Big Three’s overpricing.

”The state-sponsored shooting took place in Bicol because the region has been known to register strong and broad opposition to oil price hikes and overpricing by the Big Three oil companies in previous strikes. Yesterday’s incident only reaffirmed Arroyo’s collusion with the Big Three in stifling demands to stop greedy profiteering by the oil companies,” said Steve Ranjo, national president of Piston.

Ranjo explained that yesterday’s shooting was not incidental, saying Edil Gonzaga, secretary-general of Transmission-Piston-Davao, has also experienced murder attempts when a man almost shot him last April 27, two days before the transport strike in Davao.

”Despite attempts to derail and suppress the transport strike and people’s protest, we succeeded in forging the broadest participation of drivers, students and workers in many parts of the country yesterday. The recent rollback by Unioil definitely would not have happened if not for the pressure exerted by yesterday’s protest,” added Ranjo.

Ranjo cited the success in Makati, wherein at least 90 percent of transport group and operators participated in the strike. He also criticized those who used paralysis as yardstick of success. ”We should measure participation instead of dividing the drivers and commuters even as we both want lower oil prices.”

Elmer ”Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson, said the regime failed to scare away the people from participating in yesterday’s protest against the Arroyo-Big Three collusion. ”The people succeeded in exposing the overpricing scheme of oil companies in collusion with the Arroyo regime.”

”As long as the Arroyo regime protects the profiteering scheme of the Big Three via overpriced pump prices, transport groups and the people will always be poised to launch more strikes in the coming months to put an end to sheer corporate greed,” said Labog.

KMU and Piston reiterated its demand to audit the earnings of Shell, Petron and Caltex and to stop the overpricing of the big players in the oil industry. ###