MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila
12:20 AM
March 4, 1970
Wednesday
The city is paralized because of the jeepney drivers strike. They claim that there is need for an increase in rates. So do the buses which are still plying their routes although they also claim 200 of their buses have been damaged (glass windows) by the stone-throwing driver-strikers. Mayor Villegas in the conference I called where the bus owners headed by Tony Herras, de Dios and Manzano and the jeepney drivers headed by their lawyer de Luna and Coms. Enrique Medina of the PSC and Edu of the LTC were present, suggested that the jeepneys be organized into one corporation or one working unit working the routes in Manila so that there will be no temptation for the police of Manila to collect tongs from jeepney drivers for preferred parking places and length of awaiting passengers, etc. Maj. Castillo of the MPD Traffic Division promised to take steps to meet the demands. Com. Medina will conduct in chambers meetings for the increase of rates of both buses and jeepneys.
But as of now the transportation was running.
Atty. de Luna claims the students offered financing to the jeepney drivers for them to join the Protest March yesterday. That must be the Kabataan Makabayan.
Leoncio Co, Kabataan Makabayan Secretary General and his common-in-law wife Erlinda Taruc, niece of Peregrino Taruc, were captured in Bo. Talaga, Capas, Tarlac, last night.
The congressmen (about 15) who visited me are all agreed the peaceful demonstrations are debilitating and the disorders must now be induced into a crisis so that the measures may be taken.