Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade at Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum. YUJI VINCENT GONZALES/INQUIRER.net
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Wednesday said he is no Superman, amid mounting pressure to solve the worsening traffic crisis particularly in the metropolis.
In a Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum, Tugade said the Department of Transportation is “moving quite fast” compared to the previous administration, but noted that he does not have the single solution to the traffic problem.
“’Yung moving very slow, ‘yun yung nakaraan. Kami, moving quite fast,” Tugade said. “Wala pa naman kaming isang taon. ‘Wag n’yo naman kaming masyadong alipustahin.”
“Kung sino man nagsasabing kaya kong i-solve ang traffic in 100 days, sira ulo. Hindi ako… Ito ho ang isang sitwasyon na walang isang taong magsasabing ‘Tatapusin ko ‘yan.’ Ano ako, superman?” he added.
Reacting to critics, Tugade said what he promised were “opportunities for changes.”
“Hindi mawawala ang batikos lalo na kung ang bumabatikos ay ‘yung mga nasasagasaan sa paggawa ng trabaho,” he said.
“As days went on and as you look deeper into the reality of the problem, masasabi mong napakahirap na problema pala nito. Hindi pala ganyan kadali… As the days progress, the problem you anticipated is not heavy after all. It’s very heavy,” Tugade added.
Asked if he could give a definitive answer or a percentage by how much he was eyeing to decongest traffic in Metro Manila, the transportation chief said it was impossible to set a target because of variables.
“There are so many variable in a relationship that a moment you tag a specific number you are bound to commit a mistake kasi variable nga ‘yon. Even in the relationship of boyfriend-girlfriend, can you say if they can live happily ever after? Baka sa seremonyas lang ‘yan,” Tugade said.
“There are so many variables that can be created by a situation that you cannot lump-sum a targeted date or percentage or how deep your relationship shall be. One thing I can assure you. I intend to make a difference and that difference will be given with all my effort along the lines of no corruption and good governance,” he added.
Tugade is seeking emergency powers for President Rodrigo Duterte to address the traffic crisis, which would allow the President to conduct selective bidding, direct contracting, or negotiated procurement for projects. Last week, Tugade and other Cabinet officials presented the administration’s P8-trillion infrastructure program, including the constructing of roads and railways and improvement of airports. JE
READ: ‘We’ll be FOI-compliant,’ says Tugade on special powers