MANILA — Transport group Manibela, which claims to have over 50,000 drivers and operators as members, declared their support for Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential bid in the May 9 elections.

In a press conference Tuesday, Manibela national president Mar Valbuena said that his group is confident that the transport sector will be given more attention under a Robredo presidency.

“Pakikinggan at bibigyan ng boses ang mga tsuper at operator na makikilahok sa polisiya at programa para sa pamamasada,” Valbuena said.

(Drivers and operators will be listened to and given a voice to participate in making policies and programs for the transport sector.)

Valbuena likened the presidency to a steering wheel, which he said his group entrusts to Robredo.

“Ang pangulo ng bansa ang siyang may hawak ng manibela. Siya ang magbibigay ng direksyon para manumbalik ang sigla ng ating ekonomiya at patuloy na paunlarin ang ating lipunan sa kabila ng pandemya," he said.

(The president holds the steering wheel of a nation. He or she sets the direction to reignite our economy and develop our society in the midst of a pandemic.)

"Ipinagkakatiwala namin ang manibela kay Leni Robredo. Tinitiyak namin na sa kaniyang pamumuno, walang pababayaan, at walang maiiwan sa pamamasada,” he added.

(We entrust that steering wheel to Leni Robredo. We are sure that under her leadership, no one in the transport sector will be left behind.)

Valbuena voiced out his group’s frustration of the current administration as their pleas supposedly fell on deaf ears.

“Pagod na pagod na rin kaming nananwagan, hindi kami pinakikinggan,” he said.

(We are tired of making pleas that are not being listened to.)

He slammed what he called the government’s shortcomings to the transport sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic and skyrocketing oil prices.

Valbuena also criticized the phaseout of traditional jeepneys, which he said endangers the livelihoods of many drivers.

“Hindi makatao ang polisiyang phaseout. Matagal na kaming naninilbihan sa publiko at masakit na tatanggalan na lamang kami ng kabuhayan dahil sa polisiyang hindi kinikilala ang aming mga karapatan at mga pinagdadaanan,” he said.

(The phaseout policy is not humane. We have served the public for a long time and it hurts us that our livelihoods will be stripped away from us because of a policy that does not recognize our rights and our struggles.)

In February, various transport groups and other sectors in Cebu also declared support for Robredo, forming a coalition called “MakaLeni.”

Robredo remains second in the latest February Pulse Asia survey, lagging 45 points behind the poll’s frontrunner, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

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