by Chino Leyco June 21, 2016
(updated)
Davao City — President-elect Rodrigo
R. Durterte will declare a transportation crisis in Metro Manila and ask
Congress for emergency powers to solve it, an incoming Cabinet official said
yesterday.
Arthur P. Tugade, the incoming
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) secretary, confirmed
that he will recommend to the new president the declaration of a crisis to
solve traffic congestion in the nation’s capital.
Tugade explained Duterte would need
Congress’ authority for at least a year or even two years to implement drastic
measures to address the daily traffic jams happening in almost all cities of
Metro Manila.
“Alam n’yo lahat at alam niyo rin na
ang pamumuhay natin, yung quality of life natin, nababoy na (You all are
familiar with this way of life; our quality of life, which has been
denigrated),” Tugade said. “Mas maraming oras na tayong ginagastos at
sinasayang sa kalsada (We spend and waste more of our time in traffic).”
“Pauwi o papasok kung nabababoy na
kabuhayan natin, at hindi ito krisis, ano ba ang dapat na krisis (If our
livelihood is wasted on our trip home or to work and we don’t call this a
crisis, then I don’t know what is)?” Tugade said.
Tugade added that the Metro Manila’s
transportation and traffic have also become a subject of mockery overseas.
To put an end to the misery, Tugade
said Congress should grant emergency powers to the President.
Should lawmakers agree to the
proposed emergency powers, Duterte can exercise direct contracting over long
and tedious process public biddings for transportation-related projects.
The president will also have the
power to open up to the public traffic private subdivision roads as well as
removing transport terminals and public markets located on busy highways.
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