A small group of motorcabs-for-hire or “pedicabs” in Dumaguete City took to the streets Thursday afternoon in support of a national protest against fuel price increases.
The protest action was peaceful with the caravan going around the city’s main thoroughfares, sounding their horns and bringing placards calling on government to scrap the value added tax and the oil deregulation law, among others.
Traffic in the city slowed down but was not entirely disrupted, with the line of pedicabs staying on one lane and stopping briefly in front of the City Hall as some leaders echoed their sentiments to city officials on bullhorns.
The protesters were led by ND Motor Piston Dumaguete city chairman Eddie Lazaro and progressive groups such as Bayan, with provincial chairman Fabian Magallanes, Gabriela, Anakpawis partylist, Anakbayan, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Samakana, ang Banica-Amihan.
The protest was highlighted with a planking activity at the busy Perdices Street in the city with protesters lying on the streets holding placards written with “Scrap VAT on oil” and “rollback fuel price by P9.00 on diesel and by P10.00 on premium gasoline”.
They also called on the public to resist and fight against the oil deregulation law in batting for the nationalization of the oil industry, junk the mining act of 1995 and called for an investigation of an alleged oil cartel in the country.
Several quarters have been complaining over the high rates of fuel prices in Dumaguete and other parts of Negros Oriental, compared to the pump prices in Cebu, Metro Manila and other highly-urbanized areas.
Prices of gasoline and diesel fuel have gone beyond the P60 per liter mark in Dumaguete, with many residents complaining that the same are being sold in other parts of the country at a lower price, within the range of P50 to P55 per liter.
Also, some motorists have noted that gasoline stations in the city have uniform prices for fuel products whereas in Cebu and other areas, pumping stations carrying different brand names are selling gasoline and diesel at varied prices.
On local issues, ND Motor Piston has called for the scrapping of City Ordinance No. 292 and the impending color-coding scheme for motorcabs for hire. They are also crying for justice for a slain Kaugmaon member, Toto Quirante.
After one round, the protest action fizzled out and the protesting pedicab drivers returned to their daily grind. (PNA/Judy F. Partlow and Juancho Gallarde)
