(Eagle News)–Senator Bong Revilla has backed the grant of emergency powers to address the traffic problem, saying such will “facilitate and speed up” the actions of the government.
In a statement, Revilla said he would ask the committee on public services led by Senator Grace Poe to reconsider its decision not to grant the powers to the President.
“Totoo na marami namang kapangyarihan sa kasalukuyan kahit wala pang emergency powers. Pero mabagal ang usad dahil sa daming proseso at burukrasya,” Revilla said.
He said in any case, the legislature “will be there every step of the way exercising its oversight.”
“Grabe na talaga ang traffic. Ang road rage hindi na lang sa kalsada. Iisa lang naman ang gusto natin, ma-solve ang problema. We have to come to a consensus para magawa ‘yan,” he said, urging for “cooler heads to prevail.”
Revilla was in apparent reference to Poe and to Transportation Secretary Art Tugade, who had traded barbs in connection with the traffic problem.
Poe has said Tugade had “underperformed” with respect to addressing that problem, but Tugade fired back.
“Pati ba naman trabaho ko pinakikialaman niya,” Tugade had said.
Revilla said he would also file a resolution calling for a national public transport summit in order to come up with a comprehensive traffic management plan that would “lay down the short, medium, and long term programs and solutions to the traffic crisis.”
