MANILA – In a bold stand against what they call relentless road-side shakedowns, the transport group Manibela is set to launch a three-day nationwide strike from December 9 to 11, 2025, protesting the ongoing harassment of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers by traffic enforcers. The action, expected to dwarf previous walkouts this year, highlights deep-seated frustrations over fines, document confiscations, and alleged bribe demands that plague compliant operators, even as the government scrambles to avert holiday chaos.
The strike, spearheaded by Manibela chairperson Mar Valbuena, stems from a breaking point with enforcers from the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT), who continue to impound papers and vehicles despite drivers’ adherence to inspection, insurance, and registration rules. “Our response to the relentless apprehension and extortion by enforcers on the road,” Valbuena declared, his voice a rallying cry for the estimated 200,000 jeepney and UV Express drivers nationwide. “Abuse and arrogance have no place in our society.” He warned the walkout could stretch into year-end if the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) fail to act, with sister groups like Piston potentially joining to amplify the shutdown.
This isn’t Manibela’s first rodeo – earlier strikes this year railed against the PUV modernization program, soaring fuel taxes, and systemic graft – but the latest boils down to survival. Drivers report enforcers withholding license plates and releases post-fine, a racket that squeezes already razor-thin margins amid diesel’s P2.90 rollback tease and holiday traffic snarls. “They pay the penalties, but the abuse doesn’t stop – it’s a cycle that breaks families and fuels despair,” Valbuena lamented, pointing to dialogues with LTO and DOTr that yielded promises but no peace.
The impact? A potential gridlock grenade: Jeepneys, the lifeblood of urban mobility, could halt 50-70% of routes in Metro Manila, Bicol, and Visayas, stranding millions and spiking ride-hailing fares. DOTr Secretary JB Bautista, caught between modernization mandates and driver desperation, urged restraint: “We value their voices, but strikes disrupt the public we all serve. Let’s talk – no more delays.” LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II echoed calls for compliance checks, but Valbuena shot back: “Talk is cheap when enforcers pocket the change.”
For commuters plotting Simbang Gabi pilgrimages or province hops, this strike feels like a holiday hijack – a raw reminder that behind every jeepney’s rumble is a driver driven to the brink. As December dawns with its carols and cautions, Manibela’s fed-up roar demands not just roads cleared, but a reckoning: In the Philippines’ perennial transport tango, when will the drivers’ dance step from desperation to dignity?