Tugade says traffic crisis ‘treats commuters like pigs’
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Thursday made a pitch to Congress on granting President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to solve the traffic situation, which he called a “crisis that treats commuters like pigs.”
During the transportation committee hearing at the House of Representatives, Tugade presented a draft of a bill which was closely adopted by Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano in her version of the proposed legislation.
Tugade gave an impassioned speech about the traffic situation not being simply a “state of mind” but already a “state of chaos.”
READ: Tugade aide clarifies ‘state of mind’ traffic | Metro Manila traffic just a ‘state of mind’
“I have always maintained that right now, in this country and in these times, we have a crisis that is real, a crisis that is very challenging. Sinasabi ko noon at paulit ulit – nabababoy na po ang kabuhayan ng mga Pilipino sa trapiko (the lives of the Filipinos are violated because of the traffic),” Tugade said.
He said commuters were treated like pigs as they endure hours of traffic along Edsa and other main thoroughfares in Manila, that cost the Philippines P2.4 billion a day according to a 2013 study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
READ: ‘Traffic costs P2.4B daily’
“Sobrang pambababoy na. Mas maraming panahon at oras ang ginugugol ng mga mamamayan sa kalsada na dapat ginugugol sa pamilya at sa hanapbuhay. Sobrang pagkababoy na po ang buhay ng Pilipino sa traffic at transportasyon,” Tugade said.
(This is too much. People spend more time on the streets than with their families and livelihood. Traffic and transportation have wought havoc on the lives of the Filipinos.)
He clarified his earlier statement that traffic was a state of mind, noting instead that the traffic situation had reached a “state of chaos.”
“Ang traffic ay, hindi (Traffic is not a) state of mind. It is a state of chaos,” Tugade said.
He assured the public fearful of giving unlimited powers to the President that the grant of emergency power would last only two years.
Tugade said Congress would also have oversight powers to ensure checks and balances, adding that the bill would even allow concerned citizens to question the emergency powers before the Supreme Court.
Tugade said the emergency powers would also be compliant with a policy of transparency under a freedom of information principle.
“Sa madaling salita, hindi (In other words, it is not) capricious and certainly not whimsical. It will also be guided by the spirit of the law and by the spirit of the Constitution,” Tugade said.
Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice asked Tugade if the projects presented when the President has emergency powers would still be subject to review by the National Economic Development Authority and the Regional Development Council, and would still need the grant of environmental impact assessment, local permits, building permits, among others.
Tugade said the grant of emergency powers would not forego the review and assessment of projects.
Asked by Erice if the emergency powers would bypass ordinances of different local government units, Tugade said the department has talked to several mayors who agreed to synchronize their ordinances.
The Department of Transportation presented to Congress its proposed draft of the bill that sought to grant Duterte special powers to solve traffic, which includes among others opening up the roads in the subdivision to ease traffic congestion, go to direct contracting to speed up infrastructure projects, and resolve injunction and right of way issues delaying the implementation of infrastructure projects.
Under the Constitution, only Congress can grant the President emergency powers.
“In times of war or other national emergency, the Congress may, by law, authorize the President, for a limited period and subject to such restrictions as it may prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out a declared national policy,” according to Article VI, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution. CDG/rga
READ: Congress ‘OK’ with emergency powers for Duterte
