THE House of Representatives has begun its plenary discussion on the proposed granting of emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte to address the ever worsening traffic condition in the metropolis and several urban areas.
Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, in sponsoring House Bill 4334 or the Traffic Crisis Act, stressed in his speech the need for Congress to grant emergency powers to the President, through the Transportation department, to provide a solution to the traffic congestion which adversely affects the economy by making Filipinos unproductive.
Sarmiento maintained the measure would pave the way for the creation of a single traffic authority headed by a traffic czar who will be appointed by Duterte.
“The traffic czar is expected to come up with a traffic management plan within 90 days that will harmonize and unify all existing traffic regulations in the affected areas,” Sarmiento said.
It took the Lower House to have the bill tackled in plenary session more than a year after it was filed in Congress in 2016.
Sarmiento earlier said the House expected to have the bill approved on third and final reading before Congress adjourns sessions in December.
The proposal was among the Palace’s priority measures.
But Duterte earlier said he would not exert pressure on Congress to oblige him to grant him emergency powers to speed up the implementation of key transportation projects intended to address the traffic problem.
Once the proposed emergency powers get enacted, Sarmiento said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority would still play a big role in terms of traffic management as they would be tasked to coordinate with the various local governments, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and other agencies.
The approved measure provides that the President, through the traffic chief, shall be authorized to enter into negotiated contracts for priority projects for the construction, repair, restoration, rehabilitation, improvement or maintenance of critical infrastructure projects, facilities and any directly related procurement of goods and services.
The traffic czar, under the bil, shall have the authority to “pass upon and approve or disapprove all plans, programs, and projects proposed by local government units, offices agencies within the Metropolitan Area, the Department of Public Works and Highways, public corporations, and private persons or enterprises.”
“Such approval by the traffic czar shall take the form of a development permit that shall be issued prior to any land development and shall be in lieu of all other permits such as those issued by the Metro Manila Development Authority and the local government units,” Sarmiento explained.
The committee-approved measure also provides the President be given the discretion to create a separate and permanent Department of Urban Traffic Management within the last 12 months immediately preceding the lapse of the proposed law.
Sarmiento said the proposed emergency powers bill also prohibited any court, except the Supreme Court, from issuing any temporary restraining order against the bidding or procurement of priority projects, including infrastructure projetcs, software or IT components and attendant acquisition of the goods and consulting services as identified by the traffic czar.
The bill also proposed the creation of special traffic crisis courts which shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and resolve at the soonest possible time all actions that may arise from the implementation of the measure.
The bill also recommended the creation of a joint committee to be composed of the Commission on Audit, the Civil Service Commission and the Ombudsman whose tasks are: to hear complaints against public officials related to the implementation of the traffic measure; and observe as well as monitor the implementation of the measure.
Sarmiento said the emergency powers would be limited only to Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao City, and several urban areas in Rizal, Cavite, and Bulacan as these are areas where the traffic problem persist.
