Palace not keen on gov’t officials trying public transportation

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday said it will not prevent public officials from taking public transportation, but cautioned of the delays it may cause to services rendered to the public.

“There is nothing stopping me or any government official from taking public transport. But we must understand government officials have many duties to fulfill,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said when pressed for a reaction on the issue.

He said taking the petition literally may diminish the quality of public service.

The Share a Road Movement on Monday filed a petition before the Supreme Court, asking that half of the nation’s roads be devoted to non-motorized transport.

They also asked the Court to order the reduction in gas allowance of Cabinet members and require them to try public transportation, in order for them to experience first-hand the plight of daily commuters.

“Yes, we understand,” Coloma said, implying that they know of the difficulty commuters face daily.

The Secretary also said the petition for the writ of kalikasan should be studied further by the court.

“We should identify its implications to present laws and local ordinances…We’ll wait for the Supreme Court’s decision,” he said in Filipino.

RELATED STORIES

‘Give us back our roads‘

Movement for road sharing takes off