MANILA, Philippines—Senator Grace Poe on Friday, February 23 reiterated her call to grant President Rodrigo Duterte “extraordinary powers” to solve the traffic and congestion crisis in the country.
Poe said that this measure is needed due to the inadequacy of the current laws to “expeditiously and effectively” act on traffic congestion.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Thursday said that the country is missing P3.5 billion worth of economic opportunities daily due to the traffic situation in Metro Manila. This value is higher compared to the daily economic losses in 2014 at P2.4 billion.
Poe in December 2016, along with other senators, filed Senate Bill No. 1284 or the Traffic and Congestion Crisis Act of 2016 which seeks to compel “the government to address the transportation and congestion crisis through the grant of emergency powers to the president.” The bill is still pending in the Senate.
“Unfortunately, the bill should have [been] passed already but is being hindered by extended debates. Though the president initially asked for emergency power, he said later on that he does not need it. This sent mixed signals to members of the House and the Senate,” Poe said.
The chair of Senate committee on public services said that in order for the measure to be expedited, Duterte should grant it the “presidential certification of urgency,” the “lubricant which moves legislation.”
“As we have witnessed, because of the President’s influence and popularity, the bills he explicitly mentioned to prioritize like the TRAIN (tax reform law), can hurdle Congress rather quickly,” Poe said.
However, solving the traffic woes in the country does not stop with granting the president emergency powers. According to Poe, “The government should develop a reliable and convenient mass transit system, it should build alternative roads and bridges, it should pursue innovative technological traffic management solutions.”