(Eagle News) — Modernize your vehicles by Jan. 1, 2018 or else.
President Rodrigo Duterte had this to say to members of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide, who held a 2-day transport strike to protest the government’s jeepney modernization program.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Piston was the only transport group that did not support the government’s plan to phase out jeepneys at least 15 years old, and replace them with eco-friendly ones.
“January 1, pag may nakita akong jeep dyan na hindi (nakamodernize), guguyurin ko yan sa harap niyo,” Duterte said in a speech before PDP Laban members in Bicol.
He said if the “Communist fronts” Piston and the leftist organizations supporting it wanted trouble, he had many soldiers who were being trained.
He noted the transport group and the left as it is were already “committing rebellion.”
Public interest
According to the President, if the government says something “to protect public interest,” people should follow.
In this case, he said what was at stake was “public health.”
“Statistics from the United Nations say that by 2025, lung cancer cases would triple,” he said, noting that whenever he uses a plane, he would see “fog” in the skies brought about by pollution.
Dilapidated vehicles
He added the engines that run the “dilapidated” public utility jeepneys were “20 to 25 years old.”
He noted that many accidents involving PUJs were caused by failing brakes.
“Ang modernization panahon pa ni (Fidel) Ramos, Erap (Estrada), (Gloria) Arroyo, (Noynoy) Aquino. Bakit? Panahon ko? Sabay sabay tayong magstrike,” he said, to applause from the audience.