“These vehicles are the drivers’ sole means of livelihood. Impounding them is not just a form of harassment,  it is economic punishment.”

By Shan Kenshin Ecaldre 
Bulatlat.com

LAGUNA — What was supposed to be a collective journey of workers to commemorate Bonifacio Day and denounce corruption turned into a long walk of hardship after transport authorities impounded vehicles ferrying protesters to Luneta last November 30.

At around 9:00 a.m., six vehicles – five jeepneys and one L300 van – were stopped by personnel of the Land Transportation Office National Capital Region (LTO-NCR) near the Balintawak Ayala Mall along Andres Bonifacio Avenue. Most of the drivers were members of the Novaliches Blumentritt Drivers Association (NOBLUDA), an affiliate of the nationwide transport group PISTON.

The vehicles were carrying 99 passengers, mostly workers from the Samahan ng mga Manggagawa at Kristyanong Pamayanan (SMKP), who were on their way to join the anti-corruption mobilization at Luneta. Instead of reaching the protest site, the convoy was escorted to the LTO central office in Quezon City.

“The impounding was clearly meant to stop workers from joining the protest,” said the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), which condemned the incident as a blatant act of harassment and suppression of democratic rights.

Forced to walk, forced to pay again

With their ride seized, the workers were forced to walk long distances to look for alternative transportation, carrying sacks of food, water, and personal belongings prepared for the day-long protest. Many had pooled money to rent the jeepneys and van in order to save on fares. Instead, they were compelled to shell out additional money for public transport, on top of the rental fees for the impounded vehicles.

For the drivers, the impoundment meant something more devastating – loss of their only source of daily income.

“These vehicles are the drivers’ sole means of livelihood,” CTUHR said. “Impounding them is not just a form of harassment,  it is economic punishment.”

Transport groups said the drivers are already struggling to survive amid the relentless rise in fuel prices and basic commodities. “Wala na nga silang makain sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin at gasolina. Ngayon, pati kabuhayan nila, kinuha pa (They don’t have anything to eat because of the high prices of commodities and gasoline. Now, even their livelihood is taken away from them),” said one organizer.

‘Not traffic enforcement, but political repression’

CTUHR stressed that the incident was not a simple traffic or regulatory issue but a direct attack on the workers’ constitutional rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.

“It is despicable that instead of arresting corrupt officials and contractors involved in anomalous flood control projects, the Marcos Jr. government chooses to repress workers who are justified in being angry and demanding accountability,” the group said.

The progressive coalition Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) also condemned the broader wave of harassment, reporting that at least 20 vehicles used in the November 30 mobilization were impounded in various locations.

“This vindictive act exposes the twisted priorities of the Marcos Jr. administration, quick to arrest protesters, yet inept at investigating major corruption cases,” Bayan wrote in a statement.

Bayan further pointed to the contrast between the government’s swift action against protesters and its sluggish response to corruption scandals hounding the administration, from confidential fund controversies to questionable infrastructure projects.

“Authorities are quick to impound the vehicles of struggling transport workers but turn a blind eye to the billions stolen by those in power. This is not governance, this is state repression,” the group said.

Livelihood taken, families affected

For many of the affected drivers, a single day without driving already means no food on the table. Transport groups warned that prolonged impoundment could push entire families deeper into poverty.

“By seizing these vehicles, the state is not merely penalizing protesters, it is starving families,” Bayan said. “This is economic strangulation disguised as law enforcement.”

Groups also rejected claims that the impoundment was meant to maintain public order. “This is about instilling fear,” they said, “sending a message that exercising the right to protest comes with severe consequences.”

Calls for immediate release of vehicles

Progressive groups demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all impounded vehicles and the dropping of any charges against the drivers and protesters involved in the November 30 mobilization. They also renewed calls to scrap the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), which transport workers have long criticized as anti-poor.

“We will not allow this injustice to pass in silence,” Bayan said. “An attack on transport workers is an attack on all working people and on our democratic rights.”

CTUHR echoed the call, warning that continued repression would only deepen public anger. “The people will not be silenced by intimidation and economic blackmail,” the group said. (RTS)