Press Release
August 31, 2016

POE WELCOMES TUGADE MOVE TO SUBMIT DOCS TO SENATE THIS WEEK

Sen. Grace Poe today welcomed the decision of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade to submit within the week to the Senate a bill of particulars necessary to provide the justification and legal parameters for the grant of the requested emergency powers, while emphasizing the chamber's resolve to support the government's plan to immediately solve transportation challenges.

"Kapag natanggap na natin iyon [list of projects and other documents from the DOTr], siyempre bibigyan natin ng kopya yung mga resource persons natin para mapag-aralan nila. Tapos siguro by next week matutuloy na kaagad naman yung hearing," Poe, chairperson of the Senate public services committee, said in a television interview when asked about the resumption of the public hearings.

A third hearing on the planned extra powers was scheduled to be held on Tuesday but was deferred by the committee pending submissions from the DOTr. In the meantime, Poe's panel will consult stakeholders through technical working group meetings on the planned extra powers.

"Maaaring hindi madetalye lahat ng bagay pero [dapat nakalagay kung] saan magdadagdag ng kalsada, saan magdadagdag ng train, 'yung atin bang mga lugar o istasyon ng mga bus ay magiging intermodal? Ibig sabihin pagbaba mo ng bus galing sa probinsya, may mga train na ba na kokonekta diyan, merong mga jeep na sasakyan ng ating mga magsasaka na may dalang mga kaing na hindi naman pinapayagan sa mga mga city buses?" said Poe.

Transportation officials vowed during the August 25 hearing that submission would be done within two weeks, but Tugade, reacting to the cancellation of the public hearing on Tuesday, said two weeks may be too long and he has directed his staff that the submission be done within the week, or by today, if possible.

"Kailangan mo 'yung emergency powers to address infrastructure issues. Pangalawa, to address policy issues. To address systems issues. And lastly, to address project and people issues. Lahat po 'yon ibibigay namin isa-isa. Nakalagay kung ano 'yung gagampanan sa special power, kung anong gastusin kung meron. Gaano katagal [ang kailangan sa isang proyekto] kung may special power, gaano katagal kung wala," Tugade was quoted as saying.

Poe assured the administration that the Senate will not be remiss in its duty to balance the administration's interest to immediately put an end to the crippling traffic and the interest of the public about the contracts that might be inked with the emergency powers.

"Bakit pa tayo naghe-hearing kung mga spekulasyon lang ang ating gagawin. Ginagarantiya ko, una sa ating mga kababayan, bilang isang nanay, sawa na rin ako na hindi ko makasama ang aking mga pamilya dahil sa sobrang tagal ng ginugugol ko sa trapiko pero ayoko rin na tayo ay madadaya dahil naging pabaya tayo sa mga kontrata at hindi natin binantayan ang papasukin ng gobyerno," said Poe.

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