Palace digs in for court battle over train fares

THE Aquino administration said it is ready to defend its decision to increase the fares for Metro Manila’s elevated train systems (LRT Lines 1 and 2 and MRT-3) before the Supreme Court.

This was the Palace reaction after the leftist Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Riles Laan sa Sambayanan (RILES) Network and the Train Riders Network (Tren) said they would file a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court today to seek a temporary restraining order against the fare increase.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma also appealed to those who will join the anti-fare hike protests to avoid obstructing commuters.

“We appeal to those who plan to join the protest action to take into consideration the over-all welfare of our citizens and not to obstruct traffic flow and be a nuisance to our commuters,” he said.

“The government respects the right of citizens to express their sentiments on the issue of fare hike in the LRT and MRT, including their reported plan to file a petition before the Supreme Court,” Coloma added.

The Palace official noted that lawmakers have supported the fare adjustment, saying it was an “exercise in political will.”

“Because of the delay in implementing the fare adjustment, previous administrations were not able to buy new coaches and upgrade the facilities of our mass transport systems,” Coloma said.

Members of the leftist youth group Anakbayan led a sit-down protest at the MRT North Avenue station yesterday as the fare hike took effect.

“No sane president will want to unjustly burden his people like this,” Anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said.

“The Aquino administration should be held accountable for approving these fare hikes despite the deteriorating state of our train lines and despite the fact that Filipinos cannot cope with these new and higher fares given the current economic situation,” he added.

MRT-3 fares increased from P15 to P28 for the 17-kilometer stretch from North Avenue Station in Quezon City to Taft Avenue Station in Pasay City.

For LRT-1 from Baclaran Station in Paranaque to Roosevelt Station in Quezon City, the maximum single journey fare increased to P30 while the fare for LRT-2 from Rizal Avenue Station in Manila to Santolan Staion in Pasig rose to P25.

“Not only is this fare hike a bad way to start the year, it is truly detestable, given that the current state of our train systems is far from being agreeable. President Aquino and his Cabinet are out of their minds if they think that the riding public will take these fare hikes lightly,” Crisostomo said.

In a radio interview Sunday, Senator Grace Poe attacked the LRT and MRT management for imposing a fare hike amid the deteriorating services to commuters.

She also slammed the authorities for imposing the hike on a weekend when there were no courts that could stop them.

“They have not been forthcoming about this,” Poe said.

Poe, a member of the Senate public services committee investigating the woes of train riders, said they would summon Abaya and officials of the Budget Department to answer questions about the fare hike.

The hearings would begin after the visit of Pope Francis, she added.

Also on Sunday, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said it would join a big labor coalition to support the RILES Network today to protest the fare hikes.

Alan Tanjusay, TUCP spokesperson, said the Nagkaisa Coalition, composed of 49 labor groups and workers’ organizations, is calling on Abaya to consider the welfare of the workers and to stop the rate increase.

The working poor will become poorer with the fare hike, he added. – By Joyce Pangco Panares With Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja

#MRTprotest - Protesters vs MRT-LRT fare hike go full blast, to file TRO at Supreme Court today

MANILA - Protesters against the fare hike at the Metro Rail Transit and the Light Rail Transit train lines on Monday went full blast in their protest actions, including going to the Supreme Court to file a petition against the fare hike.

“Today we fight back,” said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), which is spearheading the protests, in a statement.

Protest actions are planned at various MRT stations. Partido Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) will lead the protest at Pasay-Taft station, while Sentro and other members of the labor coalition Nagkaisa! will take the North Avenue (Trinoma) Station, and the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) will have its protest action at the Cubao Station.

Tagging the fare hike as “Aquino’s Great Train Robbery,” Bayan called on commuters and taxpayers to “resolutely oppose” the fare increases for the MRT3, and the LRT 1 and 2 train lines.

“These added burdens, treacherously announced and implemented during the holidays, are without legal basis and are patently anti-commuter. These increases merely serve the profit interests of the private stakeholders in the train system while justifying government’s abandonment of its responsibility to provide affordable and efficient mass transportation for the people,” Bayan said.

The multisectoral group said the 50% to 87% fare hike will take P2.1 billion from at least 1.3 million commuters who use the three train lines every day.

“Today and in the coming days, we will stage mass protest actions to air the people’s outrage over the unjust fare increases. Today, we file a petition for certiorari and prohibition before the Supreme Court seeking a stop to the fare hike,” it said.


A broad array of groups and individuals united to challenge the fare hike before the High Court and seek a temporary restraining order.

Petitioners include Bayan, represented by its secretary general Renato Reyes Jr., activist and former lawmaker Teodoro Casiño, former LRT Administration chief Melquiades A. Robles, Kilusang Mayo Uno chair Elmer C. Labog,

RILES Network spokesman Sammy T. Malunes, Courage chairman Ferdinand R. Gaite, Anakbayan chair Vencer Crisostomo, Alliance of Health Workers president Jossel I. Ebesate, Kadamay chair Gloria G. Arellano, businessman Herman Tiu Laurel, Myrleon E.Peralta,

SSS union president Amorsolo L. Competente, commuter advocate Elvira Y. Medina, commuters Maria Donna Grey Miranda and Angelo Villanueva Suarez of Tren, labor leaders Atty. Jose Sonny G. Matula of the FFW and David L. Diwa of National Labor Union, journalist James Bernard E. Relativo of TREN and Giovanni A. Tapang of Agham.

“The fare hike is without legal basis. The DOTC and its secretary cannot be the fare hike proponent, approving body, and implementor all at the same time. The fare hike cannot be valid without a proper public hearing where the proponents present all the bases for the fare hike and the public is given the opportunity to oppose it,” the group said.

The protesters said the fare hike only seeks to benefit the private stakeholders of the train system.

“It has nothing to do the improving the services of the trains. Congress already appropriated some P9.3 billion for the improvement and rehabilitation of the train system. Why increase fares when Congress has already allocated increased budget?” it said, quoting Senator Francis Escudero, head of the Senate finance committee.

The group explained that the fare increase is due to the privatization scheme being upheld and implemented by the Aquino government.

“The MRT 3’s Build-Lease-Transfer Agreement entered into under the Ramos government had guaranteed the private stakeholders of MRTC a 15% return on investment. This is where the bulk of government subsidy goes, to ensuring the profits of private companies,” the group said.

“It is the same case with LRT 1 whose operations have been privatized in favor of the Ayala Corporation and Metro Pacific. They are now entitled to collect and utilize the fares as a part of a P65 billion privatization deal. The LRT2 is also up for privatization and the same will apply,” it added.

The Aquino government has so far guaranteed the profits of a few while guaranteeing the misery of millions of low and middle-income commuters who depend on the train, it said. Aquino invokes the neo-liberal notion of “users-pay” where the public is forced to spend more while government cuts back on subsidy.

“It is time to stop this unjust fare hike dead on its tracks. It is time to put the brakes on the privatization of the train lines. We will not be run over by a callous and anti-commuter regime,” the group said. -  - InterAksyon.com

Workers up against ‘assault on labor’ on first working day of 2015

Labor groups under the coalition Nagkaisa! are set to welcome the first working day of 2015 with a protest against what they consider as government’s assault on workers’ living condition – the implementation of fare hikes in the MRT and LRT system.

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) proceeded with the implementation of the rate hike yesterday, amid oppositions from labor, commuter groups and legislators.

Based on surveys, lowly-paid workers and students make up the bulk of regular train riders.

Members of Partido Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) will be leading the protest at the MRT Pasay-Taft station while the Sentro ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa (SENTRO), Public Sevices Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), PM and other members of Nagkaisa are taking the MRT North Avenue station. The Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) is taking the Cubao station.

Aside from the mass action, Nagkaisa! will be distributing leaflets explaining why commuters should reject the fire hike and how they can express their protest.

In opposing the fare hike Nagkaisa! contends that:

· Fare hike is not meant for service upgrade but for debt payments to a private concessionaire;
· Most of train riders belong to lowly-paid workers;
· Government cutting MRT/LRT subsidy but hiking travel budget of public officials;
· Fare hike is a move towards privatization

The group said commuters can express their opposition in various forms including:

· Making selfies or group pics holding mini posters and posting it on their social media accounts accompanied by #MRTprotest hashtag;
· Joining online petitions addressed to the DOTC, Malacanang and Congress;
· Seeking remedy from the courts; and
· Joining scheduled mass actions

“The fare hike is the first oppressive policy of the year, the first assault by government on workers’ living condition. Workers were first to pay their taxes but they were also the first to carry the burden of budget cuts and other unjust policies by government,” said PM spokesman Wilson Fortaleza.

He added: “Sa daang matuwid, manggagawa ang tinitipid.”

On his part PALEA President Gerry Rivera, lamented that while fares in other modes of transportation, including airlines, are dropping significantly because of the sharp drop in oil prices, but fares in the MRT and LRT are rising by as much as 87%.

SENTRO Secretary General and Nagkaisa! convenor Josua Mata said, “The true logic of removing the MRT subsidy is the government shifting to the role of shameless facilitator to the transfer of public money to private hands. In this particular a case, the commuters subsidizing the guaranteed returns of private investors.”

The Nagkaisa in a series of dialogues with the President has called for a cost-effective and efficient mass transport system since the heavy traffic has been eating up a lot of productive hours of workers.

“The PNoy administration has not only failed to address the traffic mess, it is shamelessly adding a three-fold burden to workers who will have to shell out more for their own train fare and that of their children who go to school,” said Julius Cainglet of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW).

Several labour forums to protest against train fare hike

The North Avenue Station platform area

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)-Nagkaisa will join other groups in holding mass action against the impending fare hike in the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3) and Light Rail Transit to pressure the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to defer the fare adjustment, which it described as “anti-people and oppressive.”

Alan Tanjusay, TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson, said they are set to join a big labour group coalition in holding protest actions in MRT and LRT stations until Monday.

Last month, the DOTC said it will increase rates for the two rail lines effective January 4, 2015. With the new fare scheme, rates for end-to-end trips on the MRT-3 will increase to P28 from P15 (from North Avenue to Taft Avenue and vice versa); P30 from P20 for LRT-1 (from Baclaran to Roosevelt and vice versa); and P25 from P15 on LRT-2 (from Recto to Santolan and vice versa).
Tanjusay said minimum wage earners will be the hardest hit by the fare increase.

He explained that the P466 daily wage rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) is already affected by inflation and by the mandatory salary deductions, thus, workers’ take home pay is only P362.

“With no wage hike in sight and no immediate measure for the government to cushion the impact, minimum wage earners will be hit hard by the fare adjustment,” Tanjusay noted.

He lamented that the government failed to consider the plight of minimum wage earners when it decided to increase rail rates.
With the MRT 3 and LRT fare increase, Tanjusay said “the working poor (will) remain poor.”

“In fact, not a soul from labour groups such as the TUCP-Nagkaisa and other large workers’ representative organisations were invited for a public consultation for the planned increase if there were any. But a big chunk of their take home pay will be taken away from them by Secretary Abaya without their consent and approval. So this fare increase is an open robbery of workers, anti-people and very oppressive,” he added.

Citing the Government Family Income and Expenditures Survey in 2009, the TUCP official said data showed that a family of six needs at least P1,200 a day in order to survive. - By Robertzon F Ramirez/Manila Times