MANILA - Four transport group leaders, including a party-list congressman, have signified support to the Land Transportation Office's (LTO) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system.

The four transport group leaders, including 1-UTAK party-list Rep. Vigor Mendoza, Zenaida Maranan of the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers' Association of the Philippines, Efren de Luna of the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations and Melencio Vargas of the Alliance of Transport Operators Drivers Association of the Philippines, said in a manifesto published in major dailies Friday that the RFID system "will greatly benefit the transport sector."

"We anticipate that once the project is fully implemented, incidence of law enforcers harassing our drivers and operators would now be reduced if not totally eliminated, thereby allowing the drivers and operators to maximize their respective earnings," the manifesto said.

The transport group leaders added that the P350 one-time cost of the RFID "is reasonable enough" contrary to suspicions that it was an overprice.

The manifesto came out a day after a Malacañang spokeperson suggested the deferment of the RFID system's implementation due to complaints raised by another transport group, the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston).

Piston's George San Mateo said the RFID's cost would be an additional burden to drivers and operators.

Militant groups, including Gabriela, claimed the new system may be used by the government to spy on drivers who participate in protests. The group added that the system's implementation would violate the right to privacy of individuals.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo had suggested the project be deferred pending further study and consultations.

LTO chief Arturo Lomibao said in a radio dzMM interview that he is open to Fajardo's suggestion to defer the project's implementation.

"Open tayo sa consultation to explain further, and thoroughly, the project to the public. We will abide by the higher authority's orders. If [Transportation and Communications Secretary] Leandro Mendoza says we defer the project, I will be open to consultations," Lomibao said.

The LTO chief, meanwhile, clarified that he just inherited the RFID system project from his predecessor, Alberto Suansing, who has been transferred to the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board.

He said Suansing's recommendations on the project, including the one-time cost, was thoroughly studied for three months by the department's legal division before it was approved for implementation.

The RFID system is supposed to be implemented in the first week of October.