Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez has earned the overwhelming support of the so-called “Big 4” in the million-member strong transport sector following his “malasakit” (compassionate) advocacy for them to push the PUJ modernization program.
At a news conference in Quezon City on Monday, Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO) National President Efren De Luna, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Fejodap) National President Zenaida Maranan, Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association Nationwide (Pasang Masda) National President Robert Martin, and Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) National President Orlando Marquez declared that the transport sector needs Romualdez in the Senate to advance their welfare and interests.
The leaders of the “Big 4” vowed to deliver significant votes for Romualdez in the May 9 general elections.
“We declare an all out support for fhe candidacy of Congressman Martin Romualdez as senator of the Republic of the Philippines in the coming May 9, 2016,” the group declared in a joint statement following a nationwide series of consultations with their members which include drivers and operators of jeepney, tricycle, taxi, school bus and UV Express vans.
“We believe that Congressman Romualdez will be able to do a lot for us, the jeepney operators and drivers and the public transport sector in general, as he is the only senatorial candidate who provides us a concrete plan of actions to advance our interests,” the Big 4 pointed out in declaring support for Romualdez, a shared senatorial candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and was virtually endorsed by Senator Grace Poe because of his “malasakit” advocacy.
During consultations and presentation of his platforms, Romualdez assured his “malasakit” to ordinary jeepney drivers and operators by not turning his back on them in ensuring that government’s plan to implement the PUJ modernization program will not burden them.
The proposal is to replace jeepneys that are more than 15 years old with new vehicles such as electronic jeeps and those with combustible engines.
Romualdez said modernization is needed through e-jeepneys by ensuring that “it does not penalize the lives of ordinary families who are depending on the traditional mode of transport in the country.”
“In any modernization program, it should always champion the best interest of the affected sectors, in this case, ‘malasakit’ should be showed to hundreds of thousands of ordinary drivers and operators,” Romualdez said.
The leaders of the “Big 4” also commended Romualdez over his latest “malasakit” act—that was the signing into law by President Benigno Aquino III last March 23, 2016 of his measure, also known as Republic Act (RA) No. 10754 exempting more than 1.5-million persons with disabilities from the payment of 12-percent value added tax on certain goods and services.
The modernization of jeepneys is aimed at improving passenger safety and promoting the use of environment-friendly vehicles.
Earlier, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) clarified that the modernization of jeepneys will not yet be implemented this year.
The government’s timeline in the modernization of PUVs showed that this year will be the ‘voluntary’ implementation period while 2017 will be the grace period, and followed by the mandatory period in 2018.
Romualdez is the head of the House Independent Bloc and a three-term congressman who is running for the Senate under a platform anchored on compassionate governance, as one of his guest senatorial candidates for sharing similar platforms of government in ensuring peace and order, curbing graft and corruption, giving free colleges education, improving health services, institutionalizing and expanding the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), and among others.
Romualdez finished his undergraduate studies with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Government from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York in 1985 and obtained in 1988 a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from the Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Romualdez’s key platforms are focused on improving jobs, health, education, agriculture and disaster preparedness.
