SENATOR Manny Pacquiao has sought a Senate inquiry into the Nueva Ecija bus tragedy that resuled in the death of 32 people.
Senator Grace Poe earlier called for the creation of a National Transport Safety Board due to the accident.
On the other hand, Senator JV Ejercito wants to impose stiffer penalties for overloading vehicles as the bus which figured in the accident after falling into a 100-feet ravine in Nueva Ecija was reportedly overloaded.
In a statement, Poe also said the necessary assistance should be extended by authorities and the bus company to the victims and their relatives.
In Senate Resolution No. 346 he filed, Pacquiao also wanted the Senate committees on public services and on public works to inquire into the road safety policies and regulations being implemented by agencies.
Pacquiao said the Senate probe was intended to improve road safety standards and protect the lives of millions of passengers and pedestrians.
“It is the duty of the State to enact laws and policies that will ensure a safe, viable, and dependable road safety system in the country in order to protect the welfare of the general public,” read Pacquiao’s resolution.
Pacquiao noted that road accidents “are very common in the Philippines due to poor road signs and infrastructure.”
“We have witnessed these past few months a surge in the number of road accidents, the recent of which involved a bus in Nueva Ecija that claimed the lives of more than 30 people,” he said.
The neophyte senator said there was an urgent need to implement strictly the posting of appropriate road safety devices and road signs, citing studies that indicate that “many of the traffic signs in the country still do not conform to internationally accepted standards on color, size and shape.”
“There is an urgent need to implement an aggressive and proactive road safety signs and infrastructures, especially to roads that are considered risky due to topography and location,” he added.
programs based on continuing reviews of causes of unfortunate incidents; and assessing the operating practices and regulations of transportation-oriented government agencies.