Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade during a Senate hearing. PHOTO FROM SENATOR GRACE POE’S OFFICE)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe is “too full of herself.”
This was the retort of Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade after the legislator said in a morning news show that he must already be replaced since traffic situation in the metro has not changed and even took a turn for the worse.
For Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, Tugade “did not perform” his duties well enough to address the gridlock woes in the National Capital Region.
READ: Poe believes Tugade should be replaced amid Metro traffic woes
“Sus, masyadong bilib sa sarili. Pati ba naman posisyon ko pinakikialaman nya?” Tugade said in a statement on Thursday.
“I serve only at the pleasure of the President. Not subject to the whims, caprice, and theatrics of misguided politicians,” he added.
Earlier, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has come out with a statement defending their boss. The agency stressed that Tugade was all about “work, action, and less chatter.”
“Madam Senator, hindi ‘ho ugali ni Secretary Tugade ang matulog sa pansitan,” DOTr said.
“Kaya nga ‘ho nagpapatupad ang Kagawaran ng 24/7 construction at nagpapairal ng partial operability timelines dahil mismo sa kagustuhan niyang makapaghatid agad ng serbisyo-publiko sa transportasyon sa mga Pilipino,” it added.
The DOTr also pointed out that traffic management is not one of the agency’s mandates. It also cited several achievements of the agency under Tugade’s watch.
READ: DOTr twits Poe: ‘Hindi ugali ni Tugade ang matulog sa pansitan’
“Katunayan, kanina po ay nasa Maguindano siya para isulong ang PUV Modernization sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM),” DOTr said.
“Ngayon, ay nasa Cotabato City naman siya upang makipag-usap sa Ministry of Transportation and Communication sa BARMM upang hawak kamay na maisulong nang mabilis at maayos ang mga proyektong pang-transportasyon sa lugar,” it added. /kga