A Transportation official on Monday strongly refuted claims of misleading President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regarding the actual situation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program implementation.

During the Malacañang Press Briefing, Office of Transportation Cooperatives Chairperson Jesus Ferdinand Ortega said the agency adhered to transparency guidelines well before they met with President Marcos last December.

“Days before, and even a day before we met President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., we updated the list we provided to them. The list contains nationwide, per mode, and per region details, as instructed by (Transportation) Secretary (Jaime) Bautista. We were directed to be transparent with all the information we had to provide, and we did just that,” Ortega emphasized.

During the meeting with Marcos, Ortega highlighted the President’s evident confidence in the program. “When we sat in front of the President, we could clearly see in his demeanor and his eyes the confidence regarding the program. He is well-informed about the numbers and the program, and he expressed certainty that there would be no extension,” Ortega stated.

Ortega added that Marcos underscored the importance of continuing assistance to drivers and cooperatives to enhance the PUV modernization program further.

He added that Marcos wants to deliver this modernization program to the passengers and commuters in the country.

Ortega also categorically denied the allegations of providing misleading information regarding the rumors.

“Regarding any misleading information or anything negative, none of that happened. The President is very well aware of the details about the program,” Ortega said.

The Department of Transportation-Office of Transportation Cooperatives assures the public that they remain committed to transparency and the successful implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, contributing to the overall improvement of the country’s transportation system.