Two of the six protesting jeepney drivers, collectively known as the ‘Piston 6,’ remained under the custody of the Northern Police District.
Seventy-two year old Elmer Cordero and Wilson Ramilla have yet to be freed, while fellow drivers Severino Ramos, Arsenio Ymas, Wilson Ramilla, Ramon Paloma, and Ruben Balyon were freed after posting bail. The bail was set at P3,000 each.
The police said Cordero and Ramilla will remain in jail because they are facing other charges.
The six, all members of transport group Piston, were arrested by NPD cops on June 2 for failing to practice physical distancing during a protest and supposedly resisted authorities when they were accosted.
The police said Cordero has an estafa case, while Ramilla, had served jail time for a carnapping case that has yet to be dismissed.
Cordero and Ramilla, however, insisted that they did nothing wrong.
“Anim na araw po kaming ikinulong at pinaikot-ikot nang walang malinaw na kaso. Wala po kaming kasalanan! (We were jailed for 6 days without a clear case against us. We didn’t do anything wrong!),” Cordero said.
“Makatwiran pong humiling ng ayuda at magbalik-pasada. (It’s only right to ask for aid and return to livelihood),” said Ramilla.
One of those freed, Baylon, also Piston’s deputy general, argued that the group was “strictly” observing physical distance and wore face masks during the June 2 protest.
Baylon said that his group will join the protests planned during the Independence Day on June 12.
Piston has been holding protests in different parts of Metro Manila since June 1, slamming the government’s decision to place jeepneys at the bottom of the “hierarchy” of modes of transportation.
Piston said that this policy will only allow traditional jeepneys to operate starting June 22, if there are not enough buses, modern public utility
vehicles, and UV express shuttles in a transport route. Earlier, Transportation
Secretary Arthur Tugade said that traditional jeepneys should be roadworthy and are capable of implementing minimum health protocols.