黑料社

The chair of the Senate public services committee on Friday expressed frustration at what she said was the lack of a clear direction on how to solve Metro Manila鈥檚 traffic crisis from President Duterte who, in 2017, described the nation鈥檚 capital as a dying city.

Sen. Grace Poe reiterated her appeal for the passage of a bill granting emergency powers to Mr. Duterte to solve the crisis.

In a presentation on Thursday, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) said the road gridlock was bleeding the Philippine economy to

the tune of P3.5 billion in lost opportunities daily, up from P2.4 billion in 2012.

In December, Mr. Duterte distanced himself from the emergency powers bill, saying it was not he who asked for it.

鈥淵ou never heard it from me. It was the councilors and maybe (Transportation Secretary Arthur) Tugade because that was what he needs to do the right thing,鈥� the President then said in a speech. 鈥淚 never said, 鈥榞ive it to me.鈥欌��

Enhance coordination

听

Poe defended the bill, which her committee had already passed, saying it would enhance coordination between national and local government units on measures needed to solve the traffic crisis.

She said the government should take several steps to unclog Metro Manila鈥檚 main thoroughfares鈥攄evelop a reliable and convenient mass transit system, build new roads and bridges, pursue innovative technological traffic management solutions and develop economic centers outside Metro Manila.

鈥淎ll this cannot be done without a well-thought-out plan,鈥� Poe said.

The bill, however, was being delayed by extended debates and mixed signals from Mr. Duterte, according to Poe.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said there was no magic bullet to fix 鈥渃armageddon,鈥� or the sheer chaos on major roads caused by the traffic crisis.

Recto said what was needed was a 鈥渃ocktail of solutions鈥� that ranged from changes in driver behavior to 鈥渄ispersing economic activity to the regions.鈥�

鈥楤uilder in chief鈥�

But the crisis has already reached the point where measures to solve it has to be monitored daily by the country鈥檚 鈥渂uilder in chief,鈥� or the President.

鈥淢alaca帽ang should lead,鈥� said Recto. A hall in Malaca帽ang, he said, could be converted into a 鈥渨ar room鈥� where progress in Mr. Duterte鈥檚 鈥淏uild, Build, Build鈥� program could be monitored in real time in relation to its effect on traffic.

Another senator, Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on economic affairs, said the only solutions were a mass transport system and a subway.

He said aside from the P3.5 billion in daily economic losses brought by the crisis, road gridlock was also contributing to the 鈥渄eterioration of the quality of life of our citizens.鈥�

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said the solution was simple鈥攔id city and inner streets of parked cars, tricycles and other obstructions. 鈥淭his can be done if there鈥檚 political will,鈥� he said.

Dismantle Metro Manila

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In a speech in Clark, Pampanga, in December 2017, the President sounded like he was giving up on Metro Manila.

鈥淚t is important that we disperse the industries because Manila, in about 25 years, will be a dead city,鈥� Mr. Duterte said then. 鈥淚t will start to decay because there is no way we can rehabilitate the place.鈥�

鈥淵ou cannot rehabilitate the place, you have to dismantle it to do that,鈥� he said.