Duterte duns Congress for emergency powers

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.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/metro/209179/duterte-duns-congress-for-emergency-powers.html