(Eagle News)–Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Thursday, Oct. 10, said he would commute to the Palace the following day, but said media coverage would not be allowed.
Panelo, who issued the statement after accepting the challenge of leftist group Bayan for him to take public transportation, added he would also have no bodyguards during the commute which would see him use a jeepney and the Light Rail Transit.
Bayan’s secretary-general Renato Reyes issued the challenge after Panelo denied the leftist group’s claim there was a “mass transport crisis” following the successive disruptions in the operations of the LRT 1 and 2, and in the Metro Rail Transit 3 in recent days.
Panelo no longer elaborated on what he said was his planned commute, saying he would just “do it on my own.”
He said the public would just know about the details since commuters would surely take pictures of him during the commute.
As for Reyes, who had offered to accompany him during the trip, Panelo said he could do so “kung alam niya kung saan ako pupunta.”
“I am not trying to prove anything. I am just accepting their challenge,” Panelo said.
In denying there was a mass transport crisis, Panelo said that commuters had the option of leaving early to get to their destinations earlier.
He acknowledged, however, that there could be improvements in the public transport system, which he said was a product of years of neglect by previous administrations.
“Had the critics and the nitpickers read the transcript of my remarks in the press briefing..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,” he said.
