By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
Philippine National Police (PNP) acting Chief PLt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Tuesday said they will be monitoring the three-day transport strike in Metro Manila and other parts of the country and assisting commuters who will be affected by it.
Transport group Manibela will be on a nationwide strike from Sept. 17 to 19. Piston will also be on strike on Sept. 18.
“Police commanders were tasked to coordinate with the local government units for the deployment of police mobility assets in cases of stranded commuters,” Nartatez said in a statement.
“The PNP treats all disruption in the normal daily routine of our kababayan as a matter of concern, including transport strikes.”
Nartatez said the monitoring is aimed at ensuring that peace and order are observed, especially after past reports of harassment against drivers who would not join the transport strike.
“We fully respect the concerns being raised by our friends in the transport sector. Subalit kailangan nating balansehin ang kanilang karapatang mag-strike at karapatan ng ibang tsuper na mamasada at maghanap-buhay—kasama na rin ang karapatan ng mga commuter na huwag maabala,” Nartatez said.
“We [have] dealt with this kind of public transportation disruption several times in the past and our territorial forces know what to do, including the aspect of monitoring and immediate response for any eventuality,” he added.
Safety measures
Meanwhile, the PNP top cop said they will be discussing safety measures with the organizers of a protest set on Sept. 21 to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the activity.
Nartatez said the move is part of the general security planning, as he emphasized that the safety of each and every individual that will participate in the activity is a police concern.
“We fully understand the concerns raised by our kababayan on this issue. These concerns are valid and the planned protest action in relation to this issue is a legitimate exercise of democracy that must be respected,” he said.
Nartatez said a sufficient number of police personnel will be deployed in all the areas where programs and other activities will be held.
Part of the coordination is to ensure that the necessary permits from the concerned local government agencies are complied with, he said.
Nartatez said the PNP will exert all efforts to make the event peaceful, as he urged those who will participate in the activity to do their share in making it safe and orderly.
“Sa darating na Linggo, huwag po nating ituring na kaaway ang inyong kapulisan, sa halip ay ang inyong kaagapay sa pagtitiyak na ang inyong karapatang maglabas ng mga saloobin ay mapapakinggan at igagalang,” he said.
“There are no indications so far of any serious threat to this activity—and your PNP intends to keep it that way,” he added.
