Thousands of drivers strike in the Philippines over rising fuel prices
Summary
Thousands of drivers in the Philippines stopped working for two days to protest rising fuel prices. The government sent police officers and buses to help commuters, while transport groups blamed the war between the US-Israel and Iran for the price increases.Key Facts
- Around 70,000 drivers and operators joined the strike organized by the transport union Piston.
- Protesters want fuel prices lowered to 55 pesos (about $0.88) per liter, the price before the war started in February.
- The government deployed over 8,600 police officers and buses to assist commuters during the strike.
- The Department of Transportation offered free rides to passengers during the protest.
- Rising fuel prices are linked to the war in the Middle East, which disrupted oil shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz.
- The Philippines depends heavily on imported oil, causing inflation and higher costs for transport and goods.
- Another transport group called Manibela held a strike earlier and demanded tax relief on fuel.
- The country declared a national energy emergency in March due to rising prices, the first in the world to do so.
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