spot_img
29 C
Philippines
Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Sniper-accurate’ tack for traffic

- Advertisement -

Senator Grace Poe on Friday underscored the need for someone to be “sniper-accurate” in providing something as powerful as emergency powers.

‘Sniper-accurate’ tack for traffic
AN ILLUSION? The southbound stretch of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue near Kamuning in Quezon City is surprisingly traffic-free on Friday afternoon. Officials credited the Highway Patrol Group of the Philippine National Police for clearing the normally congested road. Manny Palmero

“It cannot be a shotgun approach,” Poe said, adding it would be like giving a loaded gun to a child if the recipient did not have a plan. 

“If they had come up with a traffic plan and delivered on the projects that they should have delivered years ago, the traffic situation would have been better,” Poe said. 

She has been demanding a traffic plan from Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade before her panel decides on granting emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte to ease the horrendous traffic in Metro Manila. 

But Tugade on Friday accused Poe of politicizing the traffic problems to back her alleged plan to run for a higher office.

- Advertisement -

Tugade said Poe, as head of the Senate committee on public services, was using the traffic problem as an instrument in her political campaign.

“We all know madame Grace is preparing for her bid to run as President again. Let’s not deny it, that’s her style. She’s using transportation as her platform in the Senate as a thriller so she can be seen and heard,” Tugade said in a television interview.

Tugade also denied Poe’s accusation of his lack of a master plan on the use of emergency powers to solve the traffic woes in Metro Manila. 

But Poe stood her ground and said she was not against the grant of emergency powers that is backed by a well-studied master plan.

Even without it, Poe insisted, there were measures that could be carried out to improve the mass transport system aside from the existing laws and policies to hasten government projects to alleviate the woes of the commuters and motorists.

“Let me stress that I am not against emergency powers. In fact, granting it does not solely rely on me. I am just one vote in the Senate. Like my colleagues, I have to be convinced why it is needed," Poe said.

She said she was for anything that would solve the traffic problem.

“We are all victims of this. I am for it if it is guaranteed that they have a plan," Poe said.

She said there were already several laws in place to address legal matters such as procurement and right-of-way.

She cited RA 9184 that already gives them alternative modes of procurement and limits the period to just three to six months. 

She also mentioned the President’s own Executive Order 34 that allows agencies to directly avail themselves of alternative modes of procurement, such as direct contracting, repeat order or negotiated procurement without having to get an exemption from the Government Procurement Policy Board.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino said he was supporting Tugade on his transportation plans for the country. 

Tolentino earlier filed Senate Bill 213, which aims to grant emergency powers to the President to solve the traffic congestion. 

“Our current traffic problem should, in no way, undermine the capacity of Secretary Tugade to lead DOTr and perform the duties of his office,” Tolentino said. 

“I have personally witnessed this guy’s dedication to work and his commitment to make a difference, as we were once together in the President’s Cabinet.” With PNA

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles