House of Representatives. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
A bill seeking to end the traffic crisis in the metropolis is on its way to the plenary of the House of Representatives for debates and eventual approval.
In a press conference at the House of Representatives on Monday, Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, who chairs the House transportation committee tackling the bill, said it would be deliberated by the technical working group (TWG) in two meetings before the mother committee approves the bill and forwards it for approval to the appropriations committee this week.
Sarmiento said the bill thereafter would be debated in the plenary under second reading on the first week of December.
READ: ‘Traffic crisis bill may be template for better transport system’
“We are looking forward to having two more TWG’s, it will then be approved on the mother committee of the Committee on Transportation … it shall then go to the Committee on Appropriations. Thereafter, we intend the bill to go to the plenary by first week of December,” Sarmiento said.
“Sa paglabas at pagpasa po ng bill na ito, inaanyayahan po namin ang lahat na basahin at pag-aralan maigi ang aming panukala. Magtulungan po tayo para maisa-ayos ang gulo sa ating kalsada,” he added.
(In the passing of this bill, we invite everyone to read and study carefully our proposal. Let’s cooperate to address the traffic crisis on our roads.)
Sarmiento said the transportation committee is bent on giving special powers to President Rodrigo Duterte in addressing the traffic crisis.
“Let me just clarify on record that, yes, the committee on transportation is determined to grant special powers to the President and to the Department of Transportation,” Sarmiento said.
READ: ‘Just what will gov’t do about traffic?’
“Hindi po kami nagpapaligoy-ligoy dito. Seryoso po kami na bigyan ng solusyon ang pang araw-araw nating problema sa kalsada (We won’t be hesitant about it. We are serious in giving solutions to our daily woes on the road). Without a doubt, the Committee on Transportation is one with the President’s call and the public’s cry to solve the traffic crisis,” he added.
Sarmiento said in all the 10 hearings, the committee found out that the traffic crisis in the country is limited to the heavily urbanized areas of Manila, Cebu and Davao, although this does not mean there is no urgent need to also fix the infrastructure problem in other areas.
He said the committee also found out about a “displacement crisis” afflicting public utility vehicle drivers due to the surge of other forms of mass transportation.
Sarmiento said the bill would contain the following support mechanism for the displaced drivers – conditional cash transfer, assistance to drivers for employment here and abroad, scholarships to the children of these displaced workers, financing schemes to displaced operators or drivers in modernizing their vehicles, among others.
He said the bill also contained an inter-branch cooperation by allowing the judiciary to support the prohibition against the issuance of temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions by lower courts, except the Supreme Court, on projects that seek to address the traffic crisis.
The bill would also create a Special Traffic Crisis Court in each of the metropolitan areas to resolve all actions emanating from the implementation of the law, including expropriation proceedings, Sarmiento said.
Meanwhile, the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit, and Civil Service Commission may create a joint committee to resolve complaints against public officials and make recommendations, Sarmiento said of the bill.
Sarmiento said the bill also has a full disclosure policy on the traffic management plan, priority projects, budget or funding source, minutes of meetings during procurement or negotiation, even the background and statements of assets and liabilities (SALN) of the personalities involved.
Lastly, the bill imposes penal sanctions on errant officials in the implementation of the priority projects that would put a stop on the traffic crisis, Sarmiento said.
“We assure the public that, in our version of the Traffic Crisis Bill, we are going for solutions and strategies that are not palliative but will have immediate and long-term impact to our day-to-day transportation experience,” Sarmiento said.
The committee turned its attention to the traffic crisis bill, dropping the term “emergency powers” that was initially asked from the House of Representatives by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade for President Duterte.
READ: Duterte asks for emergency powers to ease Metro traffic nightmare
Sarmiento earlier said there are solutions that may be implemented by government agencies without granting the President any emergency powers.
“We have pointed this out to the Department of Transportation and its attached agencies. There are immediate solutions that only need brain power and political will, like prudent law enforcement,” Sarmiento then said.
Tugade submitted a proposed draft of the bill that sought to grant Duterte special powers to solve traffic, which include among others opening up the roads in the subdivision to ease traffic congestion, go to direct contracting to speed up infrastructure projects and resolve injunction and right of way issues delaying the implementation of infrastructure projects.
Under the Constitution, only Congress can grant the President emergency powers.
“In times of war or other national emergency, the Congress may, by law, authorize the President, for a limited period and subject to such restrictions as it may prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out a declared national policy,” according to Article VI, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution. RAM/rga