Solon: Emergency edict may give admin ‘very broad powers’

While recognizing the urgent need to address the worsening traffic problem in the country, Senator-elect Sherwin Gatchalian warned that the proposed emergency edict for President-elect Rodrigo Duterte would give the executive “very broad powers over many things, including bidding and contracting.”

While he said he was not against the proposal, Gatchalian said the incoming administration must first lay down its plans before seeking additional powers to address the problem in the next two years.

“Actually, ako as a congressman of a Metro Manila city, talagang araw-araw pini-peligro kami ng traffic (Actually, as a congressman of a Metro Manila city, traffic really causes us problems every day). But emergency powers may give the executive very broad powers over many things, including biddings and contracting,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

READ: ‘Emergency powers needed for Duterte to solve traffic crisis’

“Ang importante ngayon, ano ba yung strategy? Kasi hindi tayo pwedeng band-aid solution. Bakit kelangan mo ng emergency powers? Ano ba yung hindi magawa ng regular bidding process sa ngayon? Dahil hindi naming alam ‘yung strategy. So we want to know what is the strategy first.”

(What’s important is: what is our strategy? We cannot have a band-aid solution. Why would you need emergency powers? What is it that can’t be done through a regular bidding process? We don’t know what the strategy is. So we want to know the strategy first.)

“We want to know the overall strategy because now kung maso-solve naman natin without emergency powers, then mas maganda ‘yun. Because if you short cut the bidding process, then I think magkakaroon ng cloud of doubt in the minds of the people and ayaw natin ng ganun. We want to make it as transparent as possible,” he further said.

(We want to know the overall strategy because now, if we can solve this without emergency powers, then that’s better. Because if you short cut the bidding process, then I think a cloud of doubt will form in the minds of the people and we don’t want that. We want to make it as transparent as possible.)

Gatchalian said the people should learn from the past to ensure that they would not end up paying for the contracts that the government would enter into.

The incoming administration, he said, must also present a long-term solution and not just “band-aid” solutions to the problem.

READ: Edsa traffic jams: Rody exec eyes extra powers

“Hindi pwedeng band-aid solutions lang; hindi pwedeng two years (It can’t be just band-aid solutions; it can’t be two years). We have to know what is the long-term solutions for the traffic,” said the incoming senator.

“Ang gusto lang naman nating makita, bakit hindi ba magamit ang present set up ngayon at kelangan pa ng emergency powers? And then we go to the details of the strategy. Ano ba yung dapat ipatayo within two years para maresolbra itong probelma natin sa traffic? Those are the things we need to see. I think it’s a process; let’s start with a strategy,” he added.

(What we want to see is: why can’t we use the present setup now that we need emergency powers? And then we go to the details of the strategy. What do we need to establish within two years to resolve the traffic problem? Those are the things we need to see. I think it’s a process; let’s start with a strategy.)

Gatchalian believes the traffic problem could be addressed if the government would invest on the bus rapid transit, expand the railway system, and encourage people to take the public transport, instead of using private cars, among others.

Senator-elect Joel Villanueva said there should be a working group that would not only look into the proposed extension of powers but into what could also be done “through concerted effort of different leaders both at the national and local.”

“A review would allow us to see that some villages are actually public rather than private and does not require extension of power to open to public but police power and political [will] to enforce,” Villanueva said in a text message.

Senator JV Ejercito said Congress should look into the proposed emergency powers as he recognized that the country is already facing a traffic “crisis situation.”

“That is worth looking into. Yes, I do agree that we have a big traffic problem; in fact, we are already choking. This is a crisis situation already,” Ejercito said in another text message. JE/rga