For Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, President Marcos has left out in the cold those who will be adversely affected by the decision to keep the Dec. 31 deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the country. 

Manuel, a member of the militant Makabayan bloc, criticized Marcos for not doing enough to help the passenger jeepney drivers, many of whom could end up jobless when all is said and done. 

"Hindi man lang humarap si Marcos Jr. mismo para magpaliwanag sa libu-libong mamamayang nagpoprotesta laban sa PUV phaseout," Manuel said in a statement Friday night, Dec. 31. 

(Marcos Jr. hasn't even bother to personally explain his side to the thousands of his countrymen who are protesting the PUV phaseout.) 

"Hanggang vlog na lang ba siya? Ang lider ay marunong tumanggap ng pananagutan, pero siya, iniiwan sa ere ang milyun-milyong pinagsamang tsuper, operator at komyuter na haharap sa transport disaster at masaker sa kabuhayan," added the outspoken youth solon. 

(Will he just vlog and do nothing else? A leader knows how to accept responsibility; but him, he is leaving out in the cold the millions of drivers, operators, and commuters who will have to face the transport disaster and massacre of livelihood.) 

The State-sought PUV consolidation is intended to facilitate the PUV modernization program. The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives has been consistently against this. 

Manuel further claimed that government has been ignoring their alternatives to the issue. 

Another Makabayan solon, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) itself recently admitted 73.5 percent of public ultity jeepneys (PUJs) in Metro Manila have not undergone consolidation. 

She says this is equivalent to over 30,000 jeepney units in the metropolis alone. All in all, around 68,000 units are still unconsolidated in the whole country. 

"This impending crisis is expected to have a profound impact on the country's transportation system and economy, directly affecting approximately 28.5 million commuters," Castro said.