MANILA, Philippines — Long-time transport leader George San Mateo passed away, the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) announced on Saturday. He was 60.
Piston said San Mateo, who served as its former national president, died due to a heart attack around 9 p.m. on Friday.
“Ka George was known across the country as a fearless leader and activist fighting for the rights and welfare of jeepney drivers, operators, and working people,” Piston said in a statement.
According to the transport group, San Mateo was born and raised in Metro Manila.
“As a teenager during the Marcos Sr. dictatorship, Ka George witnessed injustice early on,” Piston said, noting that this led him to join Kabataan para sa Demokrasya at Nasyonalismo (Kadena), which is “a youth group that stood up for democracy and national sovereignty during the dying years of the Marcos Sr. regime.”
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In 1985, San Mateo served as the chair of the Kadena-Parañaque chapter, and in 1987, he became the group’s national spokesperson.
San Mateo worked as a driver for over a decade before joining the Piston in 2004 as a public information officer.
He was later elected as Piston-Metro Manila secretary general and then appointed as national spokesperson in 2005. He became the group’s national secretary general in 2007.
In 2012, San Mateo was elected as Piston’s national president.
“As president, Ka George led high-profile strikes and protests against fuel price hikes during the Aquino administration,” Piston recalled.
“Under his stewardship, Piston became known for militant yet publicly resonant campaigns that challenge both corporate and foreign interests and government inaction on public transport issues,” it added.
In 2017, San Mateo also led the transport group’s fight against the Duterte administration’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, “pushing instead for a just, people-centered public transport policy rather than a profit-driven phaseout of traditional jeepneys.”
He was arrested for leading a two-day nationwide transport strike in December 2017 and was only released on bail and eventually cleared of charges in 2020.
“These legal actions underscored the Philippine state’s contentious relationship with transport workers and activists resisting anti-people policies,” said Piston.
“After serving as Piston’s national president, Ka George was succeeded by Mody Floranda in 2019 and has since held the title of president emeritus,” it added. /cb
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