THERE are less than two weeks before President Duterte’s first 100 days are over—but short of lobbying Congress for emergency powers, Transport officials have done precious little to alleviate the daily woes of millions of commuters and motorists, particularly in Metro Manila.
This week, Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade said he was optimistic that Congress would grant Duterte emergency powers before the end of the year to ease the country’s traffic woes.
In the Senate, the committee on public services last week wrapped up its series of hearings on the emergency powers the administration seeks. A final draft of the bill is expected to be submitted for debate by November.
The House, meanwhile, is consolidating 10 bills with different proposals seeking to give Duterte the emergency powers. A working group will tackle the consolidated bill, and hopes to have it ready for the House committee on transportation by November, as well.
We can appreciate that it takes time to push legislation through Congress—even though the previous administration demonstrated that it could ram through an impeachment complaint in just one day. Assuming that this administration is more serious than its predecessor about the need for a thorough debate in Congress, the process will indeed take some time.
What is disconcerting, however, is how little has been done in areas that do not need emergency powers.
Back in July, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said Tugade’s presentation of transportation solutions was one of the highlights of a Cabinet meeting the day before, saying the secretary had discussed “a menu of changes which could very positively impact the rate of flow of traffic soon, very soon.”
He added: “Within the next 100 days, you should be feeling something.”
Sadly, we have not.
In July, Tugade made a similar presentation at the World Trade Center Up Close and Personal forum in which he said that projects to ease road congestion in Metro Manila that don’t need the grant of special powers by Congress were part of his department’s plans for the first 100 days.
Within 100 days, he said, the department aimed to sustain traffic enforcement at choke points and enforcing the no-parking, anti-colorum, and anti-smoke belching policies.
He added that he had already started taking back streets that belong to the government—and that illegally parked cars would be brought to impounding areas outside Metro Manila because their owners “are not entitled to convenience” after the inconvenience they bring to other commuters.
Again, none of this has happened in any significant manner. In fact, there has not been a single news report of any of these programs being carried out during the last 89 days.
During his first few days in office, Tugade promised two things would be achieved by the first 100 days: cleaner toilets and faster Internet service at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He might pull that off yet—but we’d say he is aiming far too low—and like the traffic in Metro Manila—moving way too slowly.