Tugade says emergency powers up to senators

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will leave it up to the new batch of senators whether or not to grant President Duterte emergency powers to solve the traffic congestion in Metro Manila, an official said yesterday.

“We will leave it to them. As far as we’re concerned, we have submitted all the needed documents to Congress,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters.

The DOTr had asked Congress to grant the Duterte administration emergency powers for three years to address the traffic problem.

The agency has submitted to Congress a list of road, rail and air projects intended to ease traffic congestion in the metropolis, especially along EDSA.

“All we need is two and a half to three years. Kung binigay na nila yun, uusad na ang problema (If they had given it to us, we could have moved forward from the problem),” Tugade said.

He said former presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Tolentino could be one of the newly elected senators who will push for the granting of emergency powers to the President.

“He used to head the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority). So he knows a lot about the traffic problem. He said he will work for it,” Tugade said.

In a radio interview last week, Tolentino said he is willing to refile a measure to grant President Duterte emergency powers.

He said he also plans to push for the strengthening of the mandate of the MMDA.