By Nora Soriño
Iligan City Bureau Chief
and Sita Asquia
Correspondent
ILIGAN City ― The nominees of the Bayaning Tsuper (BTS) Party-List recently met with media practitioners to discuss their advocacy for road safety and transportation reforms.
Lawyer Alex Abaton, the party-list’s first nominee, acknowledged the possible confusion with the popular South Korean boy band but clarified that their focus is on road safety.
He cited data from 2023, which recorded around 2,000 traffic accidents nationwide — an average of 40 per day — many involving teenagers.
Abaton emphasized the need for better traffic education, advocating for road safety and traffic rules to be included in school curricula.
Meanwhile, Jovit Moya, the partylist’s third nominee, voiced support for the legalization of ‘habal-habal’ (motorcycle taxis), stating that they are essential for transportation in remote areas.
When asked why the partylist had not put up campaign tarpaulins like other groups, Moya cited budget constraints and called on the media to help raise awareness of their platform.
He also urged the government to allocate funds for such advocacy efforts.
Abaton, a former Land Transportation Office (LTO) regional director in Region 9, reiterated his commitment to road safety.
When questioned about the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, the nominees declined to comment.
