‘It’s a silly acceptance,’ Panelo says of his commute challenge

MANILA - “It’s a silly acceptance.”

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo insisted on Thursday that he is not trying to prove anything in accepting a challenge to take public transportation on Friday after drawing flak for playing down daily commuter woes.

“I’m not trying to prove anything, I’m just accepting their challenge,” he told reporters.

“Eh hinahamon tayo, eh di tanggapin natin,” he said.

(We’re being challenged then let’s accept it.)

Anakbayan and Kilusang Mayo Uno had challenged Panelo to join them in commuting to work on Friday morning, a dare Panelo described as “silly.”

• Challenge accepted: Panelo to commute to Malacañang on Friday

Panelo, who admitted to being unaware of the minimum jeepney fare as well as the costs of a train ride in the metro, however accepted the challenge Wednesday and promised to take a jeepney and the Light Rail Transit to go to work on Friday.

While he describes his acceptance of the commute challenge as “silly,” Panelo maintained that it is not a waste of time for a government official like him.

“It’s not [a waste of time]. When you share in the suffering of people in a different way, it’s not a waste of time. It’s sharing,” he said.

The Duterte spokesman however shunned media coverage of his upcoming commute, saying he doesn’t want it to become a “spectacle.”

“You’ll just hear about it and see it. Basta ako sasakay, tapos,” he said, refusing to give details of his Friday commute.