House Independent Bloc leader Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday egged on Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya to find a way to solve the worsening traffic in Metro Manila which has resulted in fatal road rage cases.
“This government especially DoTC Secretary Abaya had become so insensitive to what the public feels and experiences because of daily traffic jams that they could not care less whether motorists are already killing each other or not out of frustration” Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said.
Romualdez, a senatorial candidate, made the statement in reaction to reports that a delivery van driver was shot dead last Thursday in Pasig City in what was believed to be a road rage incident.
Police said Richard Tuazon was shot in the head and died while being rushed to a hospital by a gunman who fled on board his black Toyota Innova with license plates APA 9824.
Pasig City police chief Senior Supt. Jose Hidalgo Jr. said the shooting happened shortly after Tuazon’s vehicle nearly hit the suspect’s car while they were both trying to wiggle out of a heavy traffic jam.
Romualdez also chided Abaya who earlier this year was quoted as saying that being stuck in traffic is not fatal by saying that “the latest fatal road rage incident was clear evidence that traffic kills.”
“Secretary Abaya and also Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Emerson Carlos do not deserve to stay a minute longer from their posts if they cannot solve this very serious [traffic] problem,” Romualdez said.
“While we can forgive them even if it has been said time and again that daily traffic gridlocks cost the country billions of pesos yearly in terms of productivity and lost opportunities, it is, however, totally unacceptable when lives are being lost as a result of these daily monstrous traffic jams” Romualdez said.
Romualdez pointed out the Aquino administration’s continuing neglect of the traffic problem was a clear case of lack of “malasakit” or genuine concern for the Aquino administration on why these problems happen and the fact that officials like Abaya and Carlos are not lifting a finger to solve the problem also smacks of inefficiency and insensitivity.
“They are refusing to talk about the killing of Mr. Tuazon because they want the public to believe that it was just a simple case of homicide. I want to stress that I was not defending the gunman but the truth is the killing was triggered by the anger and frustration that built up on both the victim and the suspect because of the traffic that they were experiencing” Romualdez pointed out.
“This road rage incident should serve as a red flag for our authorities but it appears that they were taking the same for granted” Romualdez added.