A lawyers’ group has formed teams to provide “legal services to jeepney drivers and their supporters who will be harassed, injured, or illegally arrested during the strike” which started on Monday, March 6. The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), in a statement, warned law enforcers against “arbitrary arrests, physical harm, or any form of harassment.” “Except in instances presenting clear and present danger, State forces are explicitly prohibited from interfering with the ongoing nationwide strike,” it reminded. At the same time, the NUPL asked the government to provide assistance to jeepney drivers who stand to lose their livelihood due to the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP). “Without any offers of viable alternatives and guarantees of assistance, the jeepney drivers and their families are left to fend for themselves,” it said. It pointed out that the PUVMP will cause “massive unemployment and hunger, while the riding public will be grievously impacted given the staggering costs of the minibuses to be acquired under the program, rising oil prices, and record-high inflation.” It said the modernization program “seeks to phase out jeepneys and introduce new PUVs that it claims to be ‘climate friendly’.” But, it pointed out, “the government is ironically neglecting the sector that it relies upon to help address commuters’ mobility amid a worsening public transportation crisis.” “Instead of recognizing the contribution of the jeepney sector, the government is now implementing a program that will spell its demise,” it lamented.