Senatorial aspirants endorsed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday called for the urgent modernization of the country’s railway system, vowing to ensure faster, corruption-free, and cost-effective infrastructure development.
Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas candidates—reelectionist Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino, former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, and ACT-CIS Representative and former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo—made the pitch during a press conference ahead of their grand rally in one of Bicol region’s vital economic and political hubs.
Tolentino slammed the repeated delays in railway projects, stressing that action should have been taken “yesterday.”
He also noted that while other countries have successfully completed major transport projects, China’s commitments to the Philippines remain unfulfilled.
“Matagal na po ‘yung Northrail pinag-uusapan, matagal na rin ‘tong South rail pinag-uusapan … Iwasan na po natin ‘yung—I am referring to another country—na nagbibigay po ng sugarcoated promises na magagawa nila,” Tolentino said.
He continued: “Ang China rin po ang nangako ng Mindanao railroad, hindi natuloy. Ang China rin po ang nangako nitong Bicol line, hindi natuloy. So siguro po panahon na para makita, hindi lamang po ng DOTr (Department of Transportation) kundi ng mga economic managers natin, ‘yung mga bansang mas may kapasidad, and I am referring to Korea, I am referring to Japan.”
Lacson echoed this sentiment, calling out past deals that provided outdated railway systems instead of modern solutions.
“Kaya naudlot ‘yong China na loan para sa project sa riles, luma ‘yung binibigay sa atin. ‘Yung pinaglumaan nila, ‘yun pa rin ‘yung gustong isaksak sa baga natin. So, bullet train na tayo ngayon. Huwag na tayong umasa sa kakalog-kalog na mga railway system,” Lacson said.
Lacson also linked infrastructure delays to deep-seated corruption in government.“Kailangan talaga matigil ‘yung corruption para umusad na ‘yung ating mga infrastructure projects. Ito talaga ‘yung laging bumabara sa ating pag-progress as a country,” he said.Abalos underscored the importance of long-term transportation planning, pointing out that the country’s car-centric infrastructure model has contributed to worsening urban congestion.He explained that traffic in Metro Manila cannot be solved by policies like odd-even or coding alone, pointing out that mass transport is the key solution. Abalos emphasized the importance of railway expansion, including subways, as the key solution beyond roads for Bicol and the entire country.Tulfo emphasized the need for stricter scrutiny of infrastructure projects in the next Congress, noting that road issues have persisted for decades. He recalled encountering the same problems even as a reporter and described how roads in some areas remain in poor condition despite repeated repairs. “Mayroon po talagang halong korapsyon ‘yan. It has to stop now,” Tulfo stressed.The Alyansa ticket is also composed of Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Senator Pia Cayetano, Senator Lito Lapid, Senator Imee Marcos, former Senator Manny Pacquiao, former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, and Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.
