Pimentel laments delay of emergency powers bill

MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III lamented the delay in the passage of the bill granting emergency powers to President Duterte to address the worsening traffic crisis.

Pimentel attributed the delay to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade’s unclear and sluggish stance on the issue.

Leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives met last week and came up with a common list of measures – aside from the proposed P3.3-trillion national budget – that can be passed by Congress before yearend but emergency powers was not one of them.

While the main reason was lack of time, the approval of the emergency powers bill could have been achieved this month had the Senate committee on public services, chaired by Sen. Grace Poe, enough cooperation and material to work with from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as the proposal requires clear technical and legal provisions.

“What Secretary Tugade should have done from the outset is to clearly enumerate the reasons we need the emergency powers… number one, two and three and so on, and more importantly what exactly are needed to confront this crisis,” Pimentel said.

“This (delay) is a disappointment, especially to the senators who authored the bills,” he said.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, one of the authors of the bill, expressed frustration over the delay, saying the traffic crisis is costing the economy some P3 billion daily, not to mention health costs and increased risks to safety of motorists and commuters.

“This is very sad considering we already have a transportation crisis,” Ejercito said.

Other authors of the measure include Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Franklin Drilon.

Tugade, who continues to face resignation calls over alleged incompetence and conflict of interest, has yet to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Various consumer and commuter groups have joined forces to launch the Oust Tugade Movement.

Road Users Protection Advocates (RUPA) chairman Ray Junia said Tugade’s continued stay in the DOTr is improper in the midst of allegations of incompetence and conflict of interest with big companies involved in massive infrastructure projects of the government.

RUPA earlier wrote the CA to register their opposition to Tugade’s appointment, scoring the DOTr chief for his “incredible and fantastic solutions” such as his plan to install cable cars over the length of Laguna de Bay as well as to transform the MRT Line 2 into a Bus Rapid Transit.

Cayetano earlier warned the longer it takes for Congress to grant emergency powers to Duterte, the longer it will take to solve the traffic crisis in the country.

“Every one month delay in granting emergency powers means additional three to six months’ delay in the implementation of (infrastructure) projects,” he said.

The committee has concluded its hearings on the bill last October but is still conducting technical working group (TWG) meetings owing to the many details that have to be spelled out.

Poe has vowed to come up with a bill that is responsive, doable, and contains safeguards against corruption.

Poe and Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto earlier scored the DOTr for its vague proposal to the Senate as well as its failure to coordinate closely with the Department of Public Works and Highways and other concerned agencies, as well as with local government units, in submitting its bill.

She also raised concerns of her colleagues on the coverage and scope of the DOTr’s proposal as well as possible sources of funding for the projects that are estimated to cost anywhere from P3 trillion to P8 trillion.

Since Tugade is asking for the waiving of regular procurement process to speed up the implementation of projects, senators warned this could provide opportunity for corruption.

Poe also said there were many measures that Tugade can immediately implement to alleviate the severe traffic congestion even without emergency powers. – With Perseus Echeminada, Jose Rodel Clapano