Palace wants emergency powers for Duterte after story on patient deaths due to traffic jams

MANILA, Philippines — Reports about patients dying because the ambulances carrying them were stuck in traffic should prod lawmakers to consider passing the bill granting President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers, Malacañang said Tuesday.

The Agence France-Presse has reported that traffic congestion in Manila is costing lives because it lengthens ambulances' travel time to hospitals.

According to the report, patients die on the way because of the failure to enforce special lanes for emergency vehicles, outdated infrastructure and failure or willingness of some drivers to make way.

READ: Patients die as Manila traffic jams block ambulances

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the situation highlights the need to study the bill granting the president emergency powers but stressed that the chief executive won't plead on his knees for Congress to grant it.

"Because of that then with more reason that the members of the Senate consider the grant of emergency powers given that particular situation wherein even patients are dying because the ambulance carrying them could not reach the hospital on time," Panelo said in a press briefing.

"Ever since he wanted it but kung ayaw ninyo, ‘di huwag, sabi niya (if they don't want it, then don't, he said). In other words, he will not go down his knees and plead. They should know what the President needs in order to solve the problems of the country specifically with respect to this matter," he added.

READ: MMDA wants ideas to solve EDSA traffic woes

Panelo said the president wanted emergency powers to address Metro Manila's traffic woes but decided to abandon it because of suspicions that it is prone to corruption.

"I think the position of the president remains; from the very start he wanted emergency power to solve the traffic problem... but when some senators issued statements against it and insinuated that there might be some abuse of power, he said, 'O sige, 'di kayo na lang (Go ahead, solve it yourselves)... Let EDSA rot,'" Panelo said in a press briefing.

Duterte previously lambasted Sen. Grace Poe for allegedly putting malice in his plan to look for funds to solve the traffic problem in EDSA.

"The president wants to solve that and he really needs emergency powers. Now, (Transportation) Secretary (Arthur) Tugade is pursuing it, but I understand some of the senators are for it; so let’s see how it goes," Panelo said.

READ: Emergency traffic powers for Duterte eyed anew

The emergency powers bill is not included in the list of the president's priority measures but Panelo said it is assumed that members of the Senate "know exactly the problems of the land."

"(If) they can help solve it together with the executive department, then they should," he added.

Panelo pushes for 'creative' solutions

Panelo said there should be "creative" solutions to the traffic problem pending the passage of the emergency powers bill. He proposed the use of helicopters to transport patients to hospitals.

"They should look for roads that are not traffic-laden or perhaps they can use choppers or an emergency flight," the presidential spokesman said.

READ: MMDA policies on EDSA aggravated Pasig City traffic, says Vico Sotto
 
Panelo said hospitals, both government and private, could ask the military to provide helicopters for medical emergency cases.

"But I think the secretary of health, as well as the secretary of (defense), should be coordinating with respect to that," he said.

"Perhaps the DOH (Department of Health) should consider that, too, in relation to public service. Perhaps they should include that in the next budget or they can ask the help of other agencies that can buy them choppers to be converted into an ambulance chopper."