Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/John Paul R. Autor
CEBU CITY—The chair of the transport committee of the Commission on Appointments (CA) asked a commuter’s welfare group to back up its complaint against the confirmation of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade amid claims that Tugade has failed to ease the traffic crisis gripping heavily urbanized areas in the country.
Cebu Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (fourth district), chair of the CA transport committee deliberating on Tugade’s appointment, said the Road Users Protection Advocates (Rupa), which filed a formal complaint opposing Tugade’s confirmation, would have a chance to present documents and argue its case against the transport secretary.
Evidence
“They (Rupa) will be heard,” Salimbangon said in a phone interview. He said, however, that “allegations against Secretary Tugade must be backed by evidence.”
Salimbangon said he received a letter from Rupa on Oct. 19 asking the CA to reject the appointment of Tugade, claiming the secretary is unqualified to head the transportation department.
The group, an umbrella network of road users, raised conflict of interest issues and competence, among others, against Tugade.
Chance to be heard
Salimbangon said the group would be given a chance to be heard and substantiate its allegations since its letter didn’t come with documents.
Tugade, Salimbangon said, “will also have the chance to answer the allegations.”
In a two-page letter to Salimbangon, Rupa chair Ray Junia said Tugade failed to deliver his promise to solve the traffic crisis within 100 days.
Cable cars
Traffic even worsened, said Junia in the letter. All Tugade had to offer as solutions, said Junia, are “incredible and fantastic” projects like building cable cars over Laguna Lake.
Tugade had also proposed to transform the MRT Line 2 into a bus rapid transit system.
But Junia said even Sen. Grace Poe, who heads the Senate committee on public services, shot down the proposal since narrow lanes on the most congested roads of the country’s urban centers would not be able to handle more buses and restrict lanes for private vehicles.
In the letter, Junia also said the failure of the Department of Transportation to submit details of how it plans to use emergency powers to solve the traffic crisis is a sign of incompetence. —CONNIE FERNANDEZ