Three big public transport groups in the country on Tuesday expressed their support for the senatorial bid of former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Guillermo Eleazar.

In a joint statement, the Pangkahalatang Sanggunian Manila at Suburbs Drivers Association (Pasang-Masda), Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO) committed to supporting Eleazar’s candidacy in behalf of their over half a million officers and members.

“Over the years, the Pangkahalatang Sanggunian Manila at Suburbs Drivers Association (Pasang-Masda), the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO) have always been united in voicing out the concerns and in fighting for the rights and welfare of all drivers and operators of public utility vehicles across the country. We intend to uphold this unity and show our force in the coming May 9, 2022 elections,” the three transport groups said.

Pasang-Masda has around 120,000 members while Altodap has 450,000 members.

The groups described Eleazar as an embodiment of what they wanted to see from a public servant — “tough but fair, approachable but firm in his principle of fighting for what is just and right, a man with honor and integrity, and a man who believes in consultative leadership.”

In endorsing his candidacy, the groups took note of Eleazar’s stern policy against “kotong cops” and his move to address the concerns of the transport sector amid the coronavirus pandemic.

They said Eleazar always made sure that their complaints against erring policemen and traffic enforcers who were engaged in extortion and other illegal activities were not only heard but immediately addressed when he was still the district director of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) until he became PNP chief.

Eleazar also served as the transport groups’ adviser when he served as the commander of the government’s Joint Task Force Covid Shield, using his influence and reach for the implementation of reasonable lockdown rules “in order for us to go out and earn a living in the middle of the pandemic.”

The retired police general has also been pushing for the grant of fuel subsidy and the temporary suspension of excise tax as stop-gap measures to help the transport sector weather the effects of the mobility restrictions brought by the pandemic which was further worsened by the recent series of big-time oil price hikes.

“Based on our consultations and our assessments of the candidates for the May 9, 2022 elections, we believe that General Eleazar has the qualifications, the track record, and the moral ascendancy to fight for the interest of those in the public transport sector,” the groups said.

Eleazar, meanwhile, thanked Pasang-Masda, ALTODAP, and ACTO for believing in his capability to serve the public by enacting laws that will find solutions to the daily problems of ordinary Filipinos, including the public transport drivers and operators. (PNA)