After slamming the previous administration for creating a transport crisis, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, in an effort to humor his critics and prove there is no transport crisis whatsoever, decided to embark on a great journey government officials rarely do: commute to work.
So how did Attorney Panelo do without the help of a 2-Billion Peso Jet? Let’s find out.
Out on the road at 5:15
TINGNAN: [6:45 AM] Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, nakitang nag-aabang ng jeep papuntang LRT sa Concepcion, Marikina. | Kuha ni Rya Ducusin pic.twitter.com/AEOvMrMf3o
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) October 10, 2019
By all accounts, it would appear that this journey of epic proportions was undertaken at 5:15 in the morning, a good 2 hours and 45 minutes before he was due for work. He was coming from Marikina.
Seen in a jeep headed to Sta Mesa at 6:16
UPDATE: Panelo sends more photos of his jeepney ride; says he’s in the Quezon City area | via @arianne_merez pic.twitter.com/Ab5nyQj317
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) October 10, 2019
After waiting for a while for a jeepney in Concepcion Marikina, the spokesperson is then seen inside the jeepney, still in high spirits, headed to Sta. Mesa.
Sighted in a jeep in Stop and Shop at 7:29
Panelo spotted in Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City at 7:37am https://t.co/rSV5q7OjtL
📸 Jaydie Santos/@kawaii_kookv pic.twitter.com/1FhgdkmYXa
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) October 11, 2019
Taking a jeepney from Stop and Shop to Manila, Sal was spotted inside another jeepney at this point.
Spotted in a jeep around Cubao at 7:38
UPDATE: Sec. Panelo nasa loob ng jeep sa kahabaan ng Aurora Blvd | via @joycebalancio pic.twitter.com/0PxrXMxTSr
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) October 10, 2019
At what seems to be a case of a brisk ride or late uploads, the Spokesman is seen in the QC area, near the driver.
Tries to get down from a moving jeepney around 7:58
PANOORIN: Sec. Panelo, sinubukang makababa ng jeep habang umaandar pa ito sa kahabaan ng Aurora Blvd sa Cubao | via @joycebalancio pic.twitter.com/09w6tjXJNL
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) October 10, 2019
With two minutes to spare before he’s due at work, he gets off the jeepney while it’s still clearly in motion. There’s a violation for that, I’m pretty sure.
Conflicting Report: Spotted still waiting at Concepcion at 6:53
LOOK: Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo is spotted by a commuter at Concepcion Uno in Marikina at around 6:53 am. Uploader adds he was able to get a ride at around 6:57am with the help of policemen. Photo by @melvyndefenThor pic.twitter.com/LQokuAaCPN
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) October 11, 2019
A bit odd, but it does add up if every other jeepney ride he’s been seen in was around 7AM. So what was it really? He got up at 5:15, and got out of Marikina only an hour and a half later?
By the way, it supposedly took the help of policemen for him to get a ride from here. Isn’t that nice? When can we have cops hailing jeepneys on our behalf?
Hails Angkas at around 8:30
WATCH: Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo rides a motorcycle from J. P. Laurel gate to Gate 2 of the Malacañang complex. He’s supposed to take a tricycle, but the unit wasn’t working. Panelo asks a motorcycle rider to take him to work instead pic.twitter.com/BOjAqK8MIk
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) October 11, 2019
With a tricycle breaking down and options thinning, the Spokesperson ditched all pretense of commuting and hailed what is clearly an Angkas rider at around 8:30 to get to work. The average commuter would use only jeeps, buses, and trains, while ride-sharing and premium apps like Grab and Angkas are considered premium options.
LOOK: Zipping through traffic. 🛵
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo charters a ‘habal-habal’ to get to Malacañang after almost 4 hours of commuting from his home in Marikina City on Friday, October 11, 2019. 📷 Ben Nabong/Rappler pic.twitter.com/7F8Qluhluh
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) October 11, 2019
And, oh, those options are often under fire from the government, too, so imagine how it would be if Angkas weren’t allowed to operate today for some reason.
Gets to work 47 minutes late at 8:47, says “there is no crisis.”
Panelo arrives in Malacañang at 8:46am after leaving his house at 5:15am. He ends his commute with a motorcycle ride inside the Palace. In another video, the driver is heard saying, ‘Nagmagandang loob lang sir’ https://t.co/rSV5q7OjtL | @InaAndolong
📹 Malacañang Press Corps pic.twitter.com/zcGfl4IUA4
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) October 11, 2019
Panelo arrives in the Malacanang Compound at around 8:47, well beyond late for work, and claims there is no crisis, despite nearly spending four hours on the road, which, if you are keeping count, is half his working hours in the office.
Unlike Panelo, a person going through a similar commute would also take another four hours headed back home after work. What this means is that they spend as much time on the road as they do at work, which is not a sustainable way to live by any means. And if these same people were late by 47 minutes with regularity, they would get fired.
Maybe if he gets up earlier next time.
How was your commute today? Tell us below!
1 comment
If Spox Sal Panelo & other Filipinos out there who are smart to prevent this traffic woes or even worse, transportation crisis then we should NOT depend so much on public transportation or even buy a car to drive your destination (e.g. office, malls, schools, etc.). Dapat mag-diskarte tayo like buy an e-scooter/e-bike which is now available on the market or just like in the Netherlands, those Dutch people use bikes/bicycles as their transportation mode in order to ease traffic in their country, saving the environment & also a physical exercise since their country is very small & they have limited roads & lands & their population is very densely: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/netherlands-cycling/index.html