The senatorial bid of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez was strongly endorsed by the 2,000-strong Batasan Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association with 16 umbrella organizations and four other big organizations of tricycles in the National Capital Region.
At a news conference Tuesday, Charlie Mangune, association president whose group comprises 16 umbrella organizations in Batasan area, Quezon City and occupying the biggest tricycle terminal in the NCR with over 2,000 member-units, led the endorsement of Romualdez’s senatorial candidacy, vice presidential bid of Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and party-list group Abakada of Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz.
The group members said they have committed their full and unconditional support for Romualdez, Marcos and De la Cruz.
The group includes two tricycle federations in Marikina City, one each in Camarin and Bagong Silang, both in Caloocan City.
“Kami ay naniniwala sa kakayahan nila na tugunan ang aming mga pangangailangan at serbisyong nararapat sa aming sektor ng tatlong gulong. Kami ay naninindigan at nagkakaisa na ide-deliver ang aming mga boto upang amin silang maipanalo sa pambansang halalan,” they said.
“Kami ay kikilos at manghihimok sa lahat ng aming mga pasahero at sa aming komunidad na kinabibilangan upang maparami pa ang aming bilang ng mga boto sa araw ng halalan,” they added.
The signing of manifesto of support was done at the Batasan Central Terminal in Barangay Batasan, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City where Romualdez thanked the officers and members of various associations of tricycle operators and drivers.
Romualdez vowed to look into the concerns of Batoda for permanent terminal by integrating their long standing request to the national government’s plan for a common terminal especially with the construction of Metro Rail Transit 7.
“Salamat po sa inyong pagtitiwala, makakaasa po kayo ng malasakit sa pamamagitan ng patuloy kong pagtataguyod ng inyong interes. Hindi ko po kayo papabayaan,” Romualdez said.
The group also cited Romualez’s “malasakit” (compassionate) platforms for the poor, including his proposal to institutionalize and increase the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or the conditional cash transfer (CCT).
They also cited Romualdez’s clear platforms of government in ensuring peace and order, curbing graft and corruption, giving free college education, improving health services for indigents’ zero billing, CCT expansion where he will push for a substantial increase with a maximum P46,200 and a minimum P24,200 financial support annually to each family-beneficiary, and among others.
The group lauded the genuine “malasakit” of Romualdez to the plight of the poor following the successful passage into law of his measure exempting more than 1.5 million persons with disabilities from the payment of 12-percent value added tax on certain goods and services.
Romualdez authored the House version of the recently enacted Republic Act 10754, exempting PWDs from VAT payment on certain goods and services that President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III signed last March 23, 2016.
Romualdez’s PWD “malasakit” law provides VAT exemption coverage on the following: medical and dental services; purchase of medicines in all drugstores; public railways, skyways and bus fare; admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other places of culture, leisure and amusement; and all services in hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants, and recreation centers.
Earlier, the so-called Big 4 in the transport sector which includes Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) National president Orlando Marquez, Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO) National president Efren De Luna, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Fejodap) National president Zenaida Maranan, and Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association Nationwide (Pasang Masda) National president Robert Martin, declared that the transport sector needs the likes of Romualdez in the Senate to advance their welfare and interests.
The Big 4 with a million members nationwide endorsed Romualdez following his “malasakit” advocacy for them especially in pushing the public utility jeepney modernization program, vowing to deliver significant votes for him in the May 9 polls.
