(Eagle News)–A labor group on Friday, Oct. 11, said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo got “a dose of his own medicine” when he took up the challenge to commute.
“We hope Secretary Panelo learned something from his commuting experience today and stop being arrogant that he already knew what it is like to commute to work,” Christian Lloyd Magsoy, spokesperson of Defend Job Philippines, said.
The group noted that it took Panelo almost four hours before he got to Malacañang from his residence in Marikina.
Panelo took for jeepneys and a motorcycle to get to the Palace in Manila.
In a radio interview, Panelo said it took him a long time before he was able to ride jeepneys because many of the vehicles were already full.
“May today’s commute challenge be a humbling experience that hopefully taught him the daily difficulties and challenges being faced by our riding public, whose majority were Filipino workers,” Magsoy said.
He also expressed hope Panelo’s commute “will not remain a publicity stunt on his part and must result to concrete resolutions on how is the Duterte government will truly and sincerely resolve the transportation crisis and the daily hellish commuting experience of our working class.”
“Defend Job Philippines also calls out other concerned government officials including President Rodrigo Duterte, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Danny Lim and his spokesperson, Celine Pialago; Land Transportation Office chief, Arthur Tugade among others to take up the challenge of commuting in a minimum period of one week during rush hours to see for themselves first-hand the struggles of our commuters,” the group said.
