House votes to abolish Road Board

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives voted 180-0-0 to abolish the Road Board by approving House Bill 7436 on its third and final reading on Monday afternoon.

President Rodrigo Duterte called on the abolition of the Road Board last month.

“I agree with the others and senators that it is time to abolish it and return that function to the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highway). I side with the Senate,” Duterte said in his speech during Philippine Air Force change of command ceremony in Villamor Air Base in Pasay City last December.

“Ever since I assumed office, I’ve always been wary about this office because it has been the milking cow of people who are corrupt in government,” Duterte added.

According to a report by the Commission on Audit, the Road Board misappropriated at least P90 billion between the years 2001 and 2012. 

READ: P90-B revenues lost to Road Board graft – Speaker

The Road Board is the agency entrusted with overseeing funds for maintenance and improvement of roads. It was reported that the board requested over P1 billion in funds last year that were not granted due to the corruption allegations. 

The funds for the Road Board come from Land Transportation Office’s Motor Vehicles Users Charge. 

Under the new law, MVUC collections “shall be remitted to the national treasury under a special account in the general fund to be earmarked solely for the construction, upgrading, repair and rehabilitation of roads, bridges and road drainage to be included in the annual general appropriations act.”

Despite a statement by presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier saying that the president wants to use the funds for disaster relief, the law specifically states that the funds should only be used for road project building and upgrading that will be dictated by the annual General Appropriations Act, and no longer the Road Board. 

This is the second time the House of Representatives passed a bill abolishing the Road Board after the one filed by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao Del Norte) was rescinded by current House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Duterte is expected to sign the bicameral version of the board’s abolition, a measure he has called for in the past several weeks.

Prior to passing the bill abolishing the Road Board, House Majority Leader  Rolando Andaya Jr. (Camarines Sur), an Arroyo ally, who was an original opponent of this bill —  before turning around to support it —  stepped down from his position, giving way to Deputy Speaker Frednil Castro (Capiz) to take over.