Big organizations representing sea, air and land-based transport sectors have declared support for the presidential candidacy of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas bet former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., als known as BBM.
Leaders of the public transport groups agreed that Marcos will be their sector’s ‘best bet” in the 2022 national elections.
Key officers and representatives of the various public transport organizations gave their assurance of support during a meeting with PRP officials retired Gen. Thompson Lantion and lawyer Vic Rodriguez, PRP secretary general and executive vice president, respectively.
The meeting also took up the proposed integration with the party of the transport group in order to formalize their support.
The transport groups included Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association (Pasang Masda); Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP); Philippine Confederation of Drivers and Operators – Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (PCDO-ACTO); Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP); Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP; and Tiger in Asia.
“Para sa akin dapat lumingon ka at tingnan ang nakaraan. Tingnan nating ang mga nagawa ni Pres. Marcos. (For me, we have to look back to the past. Let us examine what President Marcos has done),” said Pasang Masda National President Obet Martin.
He added: Naniniwala kami na maraming magagawang maganda si BBM para sa bansa. Magtulong-tulong tayo para sa pagbabago dahil siya ang makakapagdala ng unification. (We believe BBM will achieve many good things for the country. We have to unite towards reforms because he is capable of bringing about unification).
For her part, Liberty De Luna, ACTO national president, lamented that the public transport drivers have been neglected and are still in need of assistance badly amid the continued fight against Covid-19.
De Luna added that a large number of drivers have been forced to beg in the streets because they could not yet resume their trade because the Department of Transportation has yet to reopen all the routes they used to ply.
“Naniniwala kami na si BBM ang may malasakit sa mga drivers and operators (We believe BBM has real concern for the drivers and operators),” she said.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez, who is also Marcos’s chief of staff and PFP campaign manager, assured them that while a continuing study is needed to resolve the very complicated problems in the transport sector, the presidential aspirant would come up with a clear and fair policy after extensive consultation with different stakeholders.