Road Board fate now in Duterte’s hands

Pulling the plug on the Road Board, which sparked the rift between Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and leaders of the House of Representatives, now rests in the hands of President Duterte.

House Bill No. 7436, which sought to abolish the graft-plagued agency, had already been sent to Malacañang by the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office for the President’s approval, the Senate said on Sunday.

Senators had adopted the House measure to expedite the death of the Road Board, which was mandated by law to supervise the use road user’s tax, officially known as the motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC).

“The possibility of the bill being vetoed by Duterte is nil,” the Senate said in a statement.

The Road Board has long been believed to be a conduit in the use of MVUC to line the pockets of lawmakers.