Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez has addressed the backlash he received after venting his frustrations about being stuck in EDSA traffic.
The actor-turned-politician clarified his stance in a statement sent to NewsWatch Plus Philippines.
“It was an opinion and my reklamo at that moment,” said Gomez.
He further clarified that he does not use any personal escort or a mobile backup to navigate traffic quickly, stating, “I don’t use a hagad or a mobile backup for me to go swiftly through traffic. More than that I don’t use the bus lane.”
“I just find it silly that with so much traffic and the lane is not much utilized when it was needed during that time of traffic,” Gomez explained.
The congressman further elaborated on his frustration with the severe traffic conditions.
“My sentiment was the very bad traffic. My destination from our house as what Google Maps said was only 5.2 kilometers away. But it took me almost 3 hours to get there,” Richard explained the situation.
He also cited the Skyway as an example where counterflow is allowed during heavy traffic to ease congestion.
“It’s all about traffic management. Take a look at the skyway—why is it at certain times of the day or depending on the volume of traffic they use the other side of the road for Counterflow Traffic? This is to alleviate the load of traffic congestion,” he argued.
Gomez’s statement comes after his controversial Facebook post, expressing his frustration over being stuck in traffic. He suggested that the busway should be opened to private vehicles during heavy traffic, as only a few buses were using it.
“2 hours in EDSA traffic and counting. From Makati, Ayala nasa SM Edsa pa lang ako up to now. Eh QC ang punta ko. 1 or 2 hours pa ba?!,” Richard wrote in his post, which quickly garnered widespread criticism.
He added, “Ilang bus lang ang gumagamit ng bus lane bakit hindi buksan during heavy traffic para mas lumuwag ang traffic?”
