On the proposed LRT fare increase:

It should go through public hearings or at the very least the people must be told the need, the justification and the legal basis. Most important, fare hike proponents must explain what improvements will a fare increase bring. What are the conveniences gained from the pain of paying a higher fare. Ano ang ginhawang kapalit sa dagdag na bayad? Meron bang mga bagong tren? Dadami ba ang byahe? Mawawala ba ang pila? A fare hike must pay for better service. It is the rider’s equity for added convenience. Kung walang kapalit na ginhawa, ano ang batayan ng taas pasahe? That is the bottomline.

On the proposal to lengthen the election campaign period:

In the first place, the clamor is not to lengthen it, but to shorten it. A campaign should be a short race, not the political equivalent of a triathlon. Longer campaign translates into a costlier campaign. The longer the campaign, the longer an incumbent is distracted from doing his duties. A longer campaign heightens tension, raises the political temperature that could reach violent boiling point. A longer campaign prolongs the public works ban, thereby delaying the completion of needed infrastructure.

On the call for the immediate resignation of Mar Roxas:

His bags are packed and he’s ready to go. But what can he do? There’s a hold departure order from the President. He just can’t go AWOL and hit the campaign trail without clearance from his boss. Holding a Cabinet position actually drags him down because his time and attention are drawn by his day job. So he gains no advantage in prolonging his stay at DILG. On the contrary, it wreaks havoc to his timetable of organizing his campaign, given the distractions of Cabinet work. While it is true that “one can run an office and run for office at the same time,” in reality, it will be hard to multitask. Another myth is that work suffers when one is planning to run. On the contrary, that person is driven to perform better because all eyes are on him, his performance in his current job gives him the incentive to work harder as a way of convincing the voters that he deserves a promotion, and what he does with his job is the calling card of his abilities or the lack of it.