Cotabato City jeepney drivers hold simple protest

COTABATO CITY – Just like in major cities,
the transport sector here has sympathized with their colleagues but only after
transporting students and office workers.

And the jeepney drivers made its protest so simple
it only lasted less than five minutes.

We just gathered here at 9 a.m. at the city plaza
for about five minutes and pause for a while to sympathize with our co-drivers
nationwide, then we resume our operation, Absalom Sandig, public utility vehicledriver, said.

This is voluntary, Sandig said as he and about a
dozen drivers conversed. Like other drivers, he opposed government planned phase out of more than 15 years old jeepney .

Before that, we hauled students and office workers
for them not to be affected by any stoppage, if any, he added.

While they also opposed
the looming phase out of jeepneys, George Mangansakan, president of
Awang-Cotabato City Transport Operators and Drivers Association (ACCTODA), said
his group agreed not to join the nationwide stoppage because we do not want to
inconvenience our commuters.