Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. AP Photo
Fourteen senators have signed a committee report on a bill granting President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the traffic crisis in the country.
The 14 are the following:
- Senator Grace Poe
- Senator Loren Legarda
- Senator Franklin Drilon
- Senator Francis 鈥淜iko鈥� Pangilinan
- Senator Panfilo Lacson
- Senator Paolo Benigno 鈥淏am鈥� Aquino IV
- Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri
- Senator Richard Gordon
- Senator Joel Villanueva
- Senator Nancy Binay
- Senator Sherwin Gatchalian
- Senator Gregorio Honasan
- Senator Antonio Trillanes IV
- Senate Majority Leader Vicente 鈥淭ito鈥� Sotto III, ex-officio member
Poe is chair of the Senate committee on public services, the lead panel that deliberated on the measure along with the committee on finance chaired by Legarda, and the committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes chaired by Drilon.
READ: Emergency powers bill advances to plenary
She said Senate Bill No. 1284 or 鈥淎n Act Compelling the Government to Address the Transportation and Congestion Crisis through the Grant of Emergency Powers to the President鈥� was a consolidation of the measures filed by Drilon, Gatchalian and Senators Joseph Victor 鈥淛V鈥� Ejercito, and Alan Peter Cayetano.
In her sponsorship speech of the bill, Poe described traffic as not just a Metro Manila 鈥渄isease鈥� but a 鈥渧irus engulfing the nation.鈥�
鈥淎 long train of bad ideas, bankrupt programs, botched projects, and lack of meaningful foresight has made it an accident waiting to happen鈥攖he perfect train wreck upon which the well-being and welfare of the Filipino people is fighting for survival. It is now time to untangle the mess, one that is so grave and great that it needs emergency powers to straighten it out,鈥� she said.
鈥淲hat is disappointing, Mr. President, is it appears that the burden to solve the traffic crisis is now on us. Bigla na lang idinadahilan ng ibang mga taga executive department na hindi sila makakilos ng mabilis dahil wala silang emergency powers (Those from the executive department would suddenly claim they couldn鈥檛 act swiftly due to lack of emergency powers). Many solutions do not require legislation. In fact, the laws are there, the plans are there, if only they are implemented. Hindi lahat ng solusyon nangangailangan ng semento. Kadalasan, sentido-kumon lang ang kulang (Not all solutions need a specific power. Usually, what鈥檚 lacking is the common sense).鈥�
鈥淭o them, I say, 鈥楪et off your office chairs, and act NOW.鈥� You should inspire the people to have confidence in you, and that will only happen if your actions will spur results,鈥� Poe said.
She said the three committees have decided to grant Duterte emergency powers 鈥渂ecause losing P3 billion a day due to traffic is alarming enough to constitute a crisis.鈥�
The senator pointed out the Japan International Cooperation Agency鈥檚 estimates that by 2030, the losses would increase to P6 billion a day.
鈥淐ongress needs to declare a national emergency with regard to traffic congestion, because traffic from highly urbanized areas is now spilling over to nearby localities and causing businesses and people to lose money and opportunities,鈥� Poe said. RAM