MANILA, Philippines — An exasperated Senator Grace Poe chided Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Danilo Lim for being absent in Tuesday’s Senate hearing on the implementation of the provincial bus ban on Edsa.
“Sentro ng ating pag-uusap ngayong araw ang MMDA sapagkat kayo’y nagpapatupad nito, pero ako’y medyo nalulungkot na ang chairman ninyo ay hindi dumalo samantalang sinabi niya, dadalo siya,” Poe, chair of the Senate public services committee, said.
“Siguro merong mabigat na dahilan, nais kong marinig bakit wala siya rito, hindi ba niya pinapahalagahan ang pagdinig na ito? O hindi niya pinapahalagahan ang mga pasaherong apektado dito?” she then asked.
MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia said that Lim had to attend a memorandum of agreement signing (MOA).
“May MOA signing kasi, hindi siya pwedeng ire-present po,” Garcia said.
“May MOA signing, hindi po namin pwedeng i-postpone,” he said.
The senator then pressed for more details on the supposed MOA signing.
“MOA signing with?” she asked.
When Garcia was not able to answer immediately, an exasperated Poe asked: Ni hindi ninyo alam kung anong MOA signing ‘yon?
“Alam mo, teka muna, ang MOA signing parang ceremonial na lang yan, ano ba naman yung pirmahan nila ng limang minuto at pumunta dito?” she pointed out.
Poe then said another hearing would be in place to let Lim explain his side.
“I just wanted to put on record that the chairman himself did not appear in this hearing, do you think that we will avoid the inevitable? We will have another hearing. If only to listen to his side,” she said.
“So do’n sa mga hindi naga-attend, ‘wag niyong iisipin na hindi matutuloy ang araw ninyo dito, sapagkat accountability po ‘yan, lahat dapat meron pagkakataong marinig yung panig,” she added. /muf