House body backs Rody emergency powers

MANILA, Philippines - The House committee on transportation has agreed in principle to endorse the proposed grant of emergency powers to President Duterte to allow him to address the traffic crisis in Metro Manila.

At the Senate, the committee on public services wrapped up its hearings on similar proposals and bared its target to come up with a final draft bill in November for approval in plenary.

Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the panel, said that in the third and final public hearing, the committee has approached “the last mile so it would be best to chart the remaining course so we can finish on schedule and endorse the bill for plenary debate.”

After its second hearing on the proposal on Wednesday afternoon, the committee chaired by Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento created a subcommittee that will consolidate 10 bills seeking special powers for Duterte.

It was Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Maximo Rodriguez who moved for the creation of the subcommittee.

Rodriguez said there is consensus in the committee and in the House to give the requested emergency powers to the President.

He said the House would not be a stumbling block to the President’s desire to improve the traffic situation in Metro Manila.

Sarmiento said he would head the consolidation panel that would draft a substitute bill.

Since hearings are suspended from Sept. 26 to Oct. 7 to give way to plenary debates on the 2017 budget, he said his panel would meet after the House approves the budget.

“After Oct. 7, that will be the time the subcommittee can meet and invite resource persons. Before the congressional break on Oct. 22, we will meet and then present to the mother committee what we’ve agreed upon,” he said.

He added that he hoped the substitute bill would be ready by November.

Among the authors of the 10 emergency powers measures are Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, Deputy Speakers Raneo Abu and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Reps. Rolando Andaya Jr. of Camarines Sur, Winston Castelo of Quezon City and Gus Tambunting of Parañaque.

Sarmiento said the special powers would be very specific and limited for only two years.

He said the Department of Transportation should do what needs to be done under present laws and regulations while the President is awaiting the proposed emergency powers.

For Rep. Lito Atienza of party-list group Buhay, Duterte does not need such special authority.

“Let us forgive but let us not forget the lessons of the past. We must not let anyone take away our hard-earned freedom and democracy. When then president Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law, his declared reason for doing so was to quell the growing communist insurgency. This resulted in the curtailment of our freedom, particularly the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus,” he said in a privilege speech on Wednesday.

“When President Cory Aquino came to power via a revolutionary government, our system of government was changed from a parliamentary to a presidential system. During his term, President Fidel Ramos asked for emergency powers to address the energy crisis. What did we get from that? Our electricity rates are now one of the highest in the world,” he said.

While the traffic problem in Metro Manila is serious, he said Duterte does not need special authority to untangle vehicular congestion.

“What is needed is enough political will to mobilize all agencies to work with local government units. This can be done and results can be achieved without resorting to the use of emergency powers,” he said.

“Haven’t we learned lessons from the past? A one-man rule or emergency powers won’t bring any good for our country. Let us not commit the same mistake. Let us not waste the sacrifice made by so many Filipinos who fought to restore our freedom. Never again, never forget,” he said.

Incomplete

At the Senate, Poe lamented the DOTr headed by Arthur Tugade still gave an incomplete proposal on what exactly the administration is asking from Congress.

“They only gave a picture of the possible effect if the emergency powers proposal is not granted. But they still did not identify where they intend to put the trains, especially in Mindanao and in areas across Central Luzon. The details are not clear,” Poe said.

“We really need to know the scope of this emergency power. For example, this needs to be clarified if, under a single traffic authority, to what extent the cooperation will be with the local government,” she said.

She said there are solutions to the traffic jams that do not need emergency powers to be implemented. – With Paolo Romero