MANILA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Jeepney drivers and transport operators staged a three-day strike on Wednesday, criticizing what they described as the government's failure to curb soaring oil prices and its reliance on "band-aid solutions" amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Manibela, one of the most influential transport federations in the Philippines, leads the protest. However, it falls short of paralyzing public transportation in Metro Manila, as many jeepneys continue to operate across the capital and other urban centers.

Manibela Chairman Mar Valbuena said that the transport strike would extend until Friday, with drivers demanding a rollback in oil prices, the abolition of the oil deregulation law, and the removal of value-added tax and excise tax on fuel products.

He said drivers have been grappling with severe financial strain since tensions in the Middle East escalated on Feb. 28. He cited a nearly 200 percent increase in diesel prices, which he said has significantly eroded drivers' earnings despite long hours on the road.

The three-day transport strike is the latest in a series of protests tied to rising oil prices driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Valbuena estimated that around 80,000 Manibela members would participate in the strike, which spans Metro Manila and several provinces. ■