Panelo accepts critics’ dare

This administration wanted to address the same immediately but Congress opted not to grant the President the emergency powers he at the inception of his presidency to solve it

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo has accepted the challenge of critics to commute going to work.

This, after he initially rejected the dare made by militant youth group Anakbayan for government officials led by President Rodrigo Duterte to commute to work everday for one week.

“It’s a silly challenge,” Panelo was quoted as saying.

But in a message to reporters Wednesday night, Panelo said he is accepting the challenge and stated that he will commute by taking a jeep and LRT in going to Malacañang.

“The challenge to commute is accepted. This coming Friday, I’ll take the jeepney and the LRT in going to work,” Panelo said.

Anakbayan national spokesman Alex Danday said commuting for one week will help open the eyes of government officials to the “hellish reality of our everyday commute.”

Panelo earlier reiterated that he is standing by the statement he made on Tuesday that there is no mass transport crisis in the metropolis following the backlash it generated from critics of the administration.

He explained that just because he disagrees with the leftist organization’s theory on the existence of a mass transport crisis, it 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.

Panelo said the present traffic woes and inadequate mass transit system have been the bane of the people, more specifically those living and working in Metro Manila.

He also insisted that the perennial problems are a carryover 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 at the inception of his presidency to solve it,” Panelo said.

“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,” he added.