Senate tackles Duterte ‘emergency powers’

Several Senate committees have begun hearings on proposals to grant emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte (left) to address the traffic situation in major cities in the country. The situation has become so bad that Edsa (right) becomes a virtual massive parking lot during rush hour. INQUIRER FILE / MYK JOSH WIERZBICKI

The Senate has begun deliberations on several measures granting President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the traffic problem in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

Invited to Wednesday’s hearing were officials of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of Transportation, the Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board, and Manila International Airport Authority, among others.

The hearing will be done jointly by the Senate committee on public services chaired by Senator Grace Poe and the committees on constitutional amendments, and finance.

The hearing was prompted by two bills filed by Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon and Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, granting the President additional powers to solve the transportation crisis in urban areas, and three other resolutions filed by Ejercito and Senate Minority Floor Leader Ralph Recto, directing Poe’s committee to look into the proposed emergency powers for Duterte.

READ: Poe to fast track bill giving Duterte crisis power to fix traffic

Poe has repeatedly said that they would like to see the government’s plan first before granting emergency powers to the President.

“Pakikingan natin ano ba talaga ang kanilang plano kasi syempre bago naman tayo magbigay ng emergency powers, sana malaman natin meron ba silang plano…” she said in an interview over DZMM ahead of the hearing.

Aside from detailed plans, Poe said she also wanted to get an assurance that any additional power given the President would not be abused.

“Nadidinig ko lang ay yung pinapahayag nila para mabilis ang paggawa ng kalsada na kailangan naman talaga natin. Kalangan daw wala nang bidding. E medyo nakakatakot yan sapagkat yan ay nagbibigay-daan sa corruption,” she said.

READ: Senators seek clear road map to traffic solution