“Makatarungan ang panghangad ng maayos na public transportation.”

This was GMA anchor and reporter Atom Araullo's remark after his Twitter post about his difficult commuting experience at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay, went viral and drew public discussion.

In his viral tweet on Dec. 9, Araullo expressed dismay over the lack of public transportation vehicles such as cars and grab taxis available for local and international travelers.

“Basically kung wala kang sundo, you’re dead. It’s been an hour and counting. This is what a broken transpo system looks like,” he earlier wrote.

The NAIA management replied to Araullo's tweet, saying they were saddened to hear about his experience.

"[T]he high demand due to rush hour combined with heavy traffic around the metro makes it difficult for any mode of public transport to get to and from the airport terminals," it added.

The thread garnered both positive and negative reactions from netizens.

In a follow-up thread posted on Tuesday, the journalist questioned why some people labeled him as “elitist” or “entitled” for raising concern about the country’s broken transportation system.

“Many people have no choice but to commute on a daily basis. A safe, reliable, affordable, and efficient mass transpo system is good for everyone!” he said.

“Hindi lahat, may kakayahan magpasundo. And even then, it's ultimately a waste of resources: fuel, time, energy, manpower, money. "Diskarte" is not a feature of good public transportation. Ang totoo, patunay nga yan na may problema, ginagawan lang natin ng paraan. Resilient eh,” Araullo added.

He also pointed out that it must have been hard, especially for foreigners who have no internet connection to book a ride or no one could fetch them.

“We need to provide sensible options for everyone, especially if we want to promote tourism,” he stressed.

In his response to the NAIA management, Araullo said the spike in demand for public transport service is predictable which is why solutions should be within reach.

The journalist further underlined that public transportation in the country needs “immediate attention.”

“And yes, it's a challenge not just for the airport, but the entire country too. A good public transportation system is pro-people, and essential for development. Pointing that out does not make you unpatriotic,” he added.