By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) assured the public that they maintained control and ensured peace and order during the ongoing transport strike in Bacolod City.
Despite videos circulating online showing some protesters stopping other traditional jeepney drivers who did not join their cause, Police Lieutenant Rowena Jean Magan, BCPO spokesperson, stated that since Tuesday, August 13, no reports of violence related to the strike had been received.
Magan emphasized the protesters’ right to voice their concerns as part of their freedom of expression. She added that the BCPO had a security plan in place should the situation escalate, with police deployed to manage crowds and ensure a peaceful protest.
Police personnel were stationed at four protest areas: Libertad, Magsaysay flyover, Barangay Bata flyover, and Burgos-Lopez Jaena Street. “So far, the rally has been orderly,” Magan noted.
Some passengers chose to disembark from jeepneys and walk due to traffic delays caused by the strike, which disrupted their travel to work or other destinations.
The city government deployed city buses and vans at four strategic locations to ensure continuous commuter service during the strike. The designated routes include Bata-Libertad, Sum-ag-Central Market, Granada-Burgos, and Handumanan-Libertad.
The Negros United Transport Coalition (NUTC), comprising several transport organizations such as Kabakod Negros Transport Coalition Incorporated (KNETCO), United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (UNDOC), Bacolod Alliance for Commuters, Operators and Drivers Inc. (BACOD), and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), held the two-day strike to urge city officials to address vehicle registration and consolidation issues.
Magan assured that the BCPO is ready to address any complaints that may arise.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairman of the City Council Committee on Transportation, reported that the strike did not significantly impact commuters, as over 75 percent of jeepneys in the city had already consolidated. “I believe it is more than enough,” Espino said, adding that some traditional jeepneys were also given provisional authority.
