Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo accepted the challenge to commute by leftist groups.
According to Panelo, tomorrow he will take the jeepney and the LRT in going to work.
“The challenge to commute is accepted. This coming Friday I’ll take the jeepney and the LRT in going to work.”
Panelo accepted the challenge after his remarks on Tuesday’s press briefing have become a subject of ridicule and hate by the President’s usual critics and detractors.
According to Panelo, just because he disagrees with the leftist organization’s theory on the existence of a mass transport crisis does not mean that he is unaware of the vexing daily commute, as well as the burden caused by the worsening traffic conditions in Manila.
“The present traffic woes and inadequate mass transit system have been the bane of our people, more specifically those living and working in Metro Manila. These perennial problems are a carry over of two previous administrations, and inherited by the present one. This Administration wanted to address the same immediately but Congress opted not to grant the President the emergency powers he asked from it at the inception of his presidency to solve it,” Panelo said.
Panelo asserted that “had the critics and the nitpickers read the transcript of my remarks in the press briefing yesterday, they would have readily understood that when I said there is no mass transit crisis, I meant there is no mass transit crisis simply because there is no mass transit paralysis. Even the recent nationwide transport strike failed in paralyzing the mass transport.”
The president’s spokesman further insisted that the present problems in our mass transit system (LRT and MRT) are the products of many years of neglect by the previous administrations.
This Administration, according to Panelo, considers these problems as solvable, and the LRT and MRT management are already doing something about it.
“That is why we are rehabilitating the MRT-3, building the Metro Manila Subway, MRT-7, Common Station, LRT-1 Cavite Extension and PNR Clark, among others.”
