Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio, maintaining his cool and composure, called on Senior Supt. Keith Ernald Singian, Pampanga police director, amid heavy pounding on the bolted doors of the Governor’s Office as the striking truckers took their protest to the very object of their discontent.
“Panlilio e tutupad keng pisabyan!” shouted the protesters as they wound their way around the capitol’s second floor lobby, knocking at the doors of the Governor’s Office and that of the provincial administrator Atty. Vivian Dabu.
Panlilio was in the middle of an interview with mediamen when the ruckus happened.
In less than 10 minutes, the truckers went back to the capitol’s flagpole area to resume their protest.
Singian, along with City of San Fernando police chief Supt. Benjamin Medina, came to Panlilio’s office soon thereafter to assure the governor that order has been restored. A company of riot policemen with shields and truncheons was stationed at the portals of the capitol. More uniformed policemen were also dispersed at the capitol grounds.
Panlilio complained to Singian that the truckers along with the striking dismissed quarrymen of the Biyaya a Luluguran at Sisikapan (Balas) destroyed the tarpaulin billboards on the celebration of Pampanga Day posted around the capitol flagpole. He also reminded the police chief that the truckers had no permit to rally and thus were violating the law.
Singian ordered Medina to coordinate with Dabu for the possible filing of charges against the truckers and Balas boys.
A trucker who requested anonymity said they were provoked to rush the building when the capitol’s sound system suddenly blared loud music drowning their harangues against the governor and his provincial administrator.
Earlier, hundreds of trucks blared their horns as they trooped to the capitol, filing along the driveway and parking at the Arnedo Park.
The truckers are protesting the implementing rules and guidelines of Ordinance 261 that put muscle to the Anti-Overloading Law.
Among those the truckers vehemently opposed was the recommendation to cut the added side panels of their trucks to limit the volume of sand they carry.
Overloaded dump trucks have been assailed as contributory to the degradation of the roads and highways in Pampanga.
Panlilio said Ordinance 261 with all its IRR is set to be implemented noontime of January 9, 2009.
He disclosed that even as there are truckers still protesting the IRRs, “no less than 1,500 trucks have applied for accreditation and have complied with the ‘cutting’ provision.”
“Unaccredited trucks that shall transport sand and quarry material starting January 9 will be impounded,” Panlilio said.
Some truckers interviewed by Punto said they would defy what they called “Panlilio’s irrational order” and go on transporting sand in their “uncut” trucks.
“The issue here is not to cut or not to cut. It is all a matter of weight. We can comply very well with the anti-overloading law even without cutting our trucks. So what are we violating?” a trucker said.
On the truckers’ demand for the ouster of Mike Tapang, president of the Federation of Pampanga Truckers Inc. from the technical working group on ordinance 261, Panlilio said that that is an “internal problem” within the group.
The FPTI is currently in an internal conflict arising from its board of trustees’ withdrawal of confidence in Tapang whom they replaced with Dong Laxamana as president. Tapang on the other hand insisted he was still the president based on the sworn affidavits of majority of the truckers.
“No, we are not lawyering for Tapang,” Panlilio said, countering the truckers streamers. “We only abide by what are agreed upon in the technical working group which still recognizes Tapang as the truckers’ representative.”
Panlilio reiterated his openness to any dialogue with the truckers.
“Let us not resort to this unnecessary overexpression of passion. Let us talk dispassionately and rationally to resolve our differences of opinions,” Panlilio enjoined the truckers.
