Poe believes Tugade should be replaced amid Metro traffic woes

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe believes Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade should be replaced amid the continuing traffic and transport problems in Metro Manila.

“At least when it comes to traffic and when it comes to dealing with the solutions for the traffic mess, I think somebody else should take his place,” Poe said in an interview over ANC’s Headstart when asked if Tugade should be replaced.

Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, said that Tugade “did not perform” his duties amid the crippling traffic situation in the nation’s capital region.

“He did not perform and I’m sorry to say [that]. I am not here to make people look bad, I am here to present the truth and find the solution,” the senator said.

“That’s what they keep saying, ‘E papaano naman? E hindi naman sa amin ang MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) at HPG (Highway Patrol Group)?’ Oo pero sa Inyo rin naman ang LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board), sa inyo rin naman ang bang ahensya ng gobyerno,” she added.

“If there was any—probably learning from the past. Of course as a president you need to have to people that you trust around you. I support and understand that,” Poe said.

“But one of the things that was being blamed by the past administration was that the former president clung too much to Secretary Abaya. When in fact, Secretary Abaya was one of the reasons that caused his downfall and failure in delivering a lot of what needed to be delivered in the DOTC at that time,” the senator added.

Further, Poe asked if “we having a repeat,” as she stressed that nobody is indispensable.

“Even if you trust that person, you have to see how effective that person is in that job. I think that is the primary role of an executive,” Poe said.

If Duterte believes in the integrity of Tugade, he can also get a traffic expert to help for the management of the traffic.

“As many know Secretary Tugade was very successful in business. But we know that it’s not vice-versa or transferable like if I started my own business now and I am in government, it’s not a guarantee that I will succeed. The same way for him, from the private sector to the public sector,” Poe said.

“I hope that this administration will also look at the experiences of the past administration and see that if you don’t change leadership fast enough, you lose precious time,” she added.  /muf