Grant of emergency powers faces delays

By Lorenz S. Marasigan    - August 30, 2016

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/2016/08/30/grant-of-emergency-powers-faces-delays/

Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade lamented on Tuesday that implementing his solutions to the traffic mess in Metro Manila may face delays should lawmakers fail to grant President Duterte and his department so-called emergency powers.

Tugade issued the statement as Sen. Grace Poe on Tuesday said she will not reconvene the Senate Public Services Committee hearings until Cabinet officials identify and provide details of the projects proposed to be covered by President Duterte’s emergency powers being sought from Congress by Malacañang.

Poe said senators are unlikely to issue virtual “blank checks” for an unseen list of traffic-mitigation projects to be paid for by taxpayers and commuters

Clarifying the committee’s consensus to first review the list, Poe said the committee “will hold off hearings in the meantime, until after detailed submissions” from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

The senator pointed out that while the Executive branch is “in a hurry to pass the emergency powers bill, based on our hearings, we have learned that the DOTr and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority have yet to come up with concrete projects under the emergency powers bill.”

Compliance

Tugade acknowledged, however, that his camp may have to submit the documents to the Senate soon to allay fearful solons that such special powers may lead to corruption and abuse.

“We have to make a submission to satisfy lawmakers fully, and that they would grant us the emergency powers without hesitation. I want to submit the documents tomorrow [Wednesday],” he said.

Tugade assured stakeholders his agency will never abuse the special powers when granted.

“It is subject to special conditions, wherein it cannot be abused. It is good for two years only, and both houses of Congress have an oversight function.

People can still go for regress to the Supreme Court, and we will be FOI-compliant on projects,” he said, referring to the Freedom of Information (FOI) order signed by President Duterte early in his term.

With emergency powers, Tugade said his agency will be able to fast-track the implementation of much-needed reforms in the transportation sector.

“The change we want to paint is the platform of political will which we can use by having the special power,” he said.

Tugade also cited issues on procurement as one of the issues that will be easily resolved when the agency is granted special powers.

Losses

“There are three reasons emergency powers are needed at this point in time. One is that we are losing P2.4 billion a day because of traffic and transportation costs —and that is not even counting the expenses on health because of traffic,” Tugade said.

Estimates by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) showed that losses due to traffic costs will balloon to P6 billion a day come 2030, should congestion in Metro Manila persist as it is today.

Second is that the Filipino value of family ties is being severed by the congestion.

“Instead of spending time with their families, Filipinos spend most of their time waiting for a ride to work and vice versa,” Tugade said.

Third is that foreign interest in the Philippines is being diminished due to issues on logistics.

“What we are expected to do is nothing new. Most of them are borrowed after what has been formulated by previous administration, but we want to inject political will to it,” Tugade said.

The special powers will not only cover the hasty procurement of supplies, it will also grant the transportation  department the authority to create a single body to implement transport rules
and regulations. Currently, there are three entities that handle traffic in Metro Manila: the MMDA, the Highway Patrol Group, and local government units.

“When you have multiple people involved in traffic, you will have different rules for the same thing. And what does it breed? It breeds confusion on the road. It just plants the seeds of a traffic mess,” Tugade said, citing, for example, the inconsistent number-coding scheme of different cities and municipalities in Metro Manila.

Moving forward

Tugade also mentioned issues pertaining to the supply of licenses and plates, the common railway station, passage through exclusive villages and bus stations along Edsa.

“To resolves issues like these, let us have special powers, so we can move forward,” he said.

The transport chief also assured that the effects of the emergency powers will be felt not in three years, but in a matter of months.

“Right now, without the special powers, you can feel the effects of our reforms, what more if we get the special powers,” Tugade said.

Bill of particulars

But even as it awaits the draft bill from the DOTr spelling out proposed projects and particular issues to be addressed using Mr. Duterte’s emergency powers, Poe said the committee can conduct consultative technical working group meetings to fast-track the crafting of solutions that will address the traffic and transport problems in the country.

She recalled in last week’s (August 25) Senate hearing on the proposed emergency powers, transportation officials asked senators for “two weeks” to prepare a bill of particulars, including list of proposed traffic-reduction projects.

At the same time, the Senate panel is also considering proposals from urban planners, as well as affected transport and commuter groups, expecting the DOTr to incorporate suggestions from stakeholders.

Poe indicated that senators are inclined to grant a limited two- to three-year time frame for President Duterte’s exercise of emergency powers to effectively address the traffic mess left unsolved by the previous administration.