President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has admitted that he cannot solve the long-festering traffic problems in Metro Manila unless Congress gives him “extraordinary” powers to deal with the worsening situation.
“Ma’am, I would need extraordinary powers to do it [solution to traffic.] If Congress would allow, we will declare a crisis. It’s really that heavy,” Duterte said in an interview with singer Mocha Uson.
Incoming Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier said that Duterte and his team would be asking Congress to provide the President with “emergency powers” of up to two years to make a “dramatic” solution to the worsening traffic in Metro Manila.
An immediate intervention from the incoming government is needed, Tugade said, citing studies from the Japan International Cooperation Agency which said the country loses P2.4 billion daily to traffic.
“If this is not a crisis what is? Our quality of life is being damned. We lose precious time passing through traffic,” Tugade told reporters.
Proposed emergency powers for the President-elect include favoring direct contracting over public biddings for transportation-related projects, opening private subdivision roads to traffic, and removing transport terminals and public markets located on busy highways.
Several lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives have expressed support for the proposal but underscored the need to study the extent of the emergency powers Duterte will be allowed to have.
Outgoing Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., for his part, pushed for the creation of a congressional oversight committee to review all negotiated contracts on transport-related projects deemed disadvantageous to the government.
“We always want the best deal for the government and a strong congressional oversight is needed to achieve this goal,” Belmonte said.
Belmonte supported the proposal of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo for the granting of a two-year emergency powers to Duterte.
Arrroyo proposed the Metro Manila Traffic Crisis Act of 2016, taking note that the gridlock costs the country billions of pesos a day in fuel use and productivity losses.
Other lawmakers like Barry Gutirerrez of Akbayan expressed fears of abuse of government discretion once the emergency powers have taken effect. Guttierez, former spokesman of the Liberal Party, wanted limitations imposed on Duterte’s emergency powers.
Duterte said that he had already asked incoming Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, incoming Solicitor General Jose Calida and incoming Presidential Chief Legal Adviser Salvador Panelo to study the proposal.
President Fidel Ramos was first given by Congress “emergency powers” to resolve the power and water crises that transpired in the ‘90s.