Does Rody still want emergency powers?

MANILA, Philippines - Senators want to find out whether or not President Duterte still wants Congress to pass the proposed emergency powers bill that is not only to help ease the worsening traffic crisis but also boost the administration’s P8-trillion “Build, Build, Build” program.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the emergency powers bill got stalled in the chamber as lawmakers got “mixed signals” from Malacañang on whether or not the measure is still a priority of the administration.

“Maybe they don’t need (emergency powers), let’s find out,” Pimentel told CNN Philippines.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, vice chairman of the Senate committee on public services, earlier said emergency powers for Duterte are needed if the infrastructure program is to succeed.

“If these infrastructure projects don’t start at the soonest possible time, before you know it, it’s already 2022 and that’s embarrassing because we’re 20 years behind our neighbors in terms of infrastructure,” Ejercito said.

The bill was approved by the panel, chaired by Sen. Grace Poe, last year but remains in plenary. The measure seeks to impose temporary shortcuts in procurement of transportation projects so they will not be bogged down by harassment suits, and be completed faster.

Poe admitted yesterday that some senators are getting confused on the matter.

“At the start (of the 17th Congress), everyone was eager to work on the emergency powers because of the transportation crisis,” Poe told dzBB.

She said she recently asked Duterte whether he needed the emergency powers but he replied that senators can “trust” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, a reply that she found vague.

She and the other senators are eager to help solve the transportation crisis and rid the government of bottlenecks that hamper the putting up of much-delayed infrastructure, Poe said.