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(Eagle News)– Urban planner and architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. on Friday (September 23) said the granting of emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte was needed to cure the country’s traffic issues. “The most pressing challenge today is traffic…To answer the problem of chronic traffic congestion was a more complicated issue: it being a symptom of poor planning and, at the same time, being the root of other problems,” Palafox said during a lecture at […]
(Eagle News)– The Senate Committee on Public Services chaired by Senator Grace Poe postponed the hearings on the proposal to give President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to solve the traffic crisis pending the detailed projects from the Department of Transportation (DOTr). The deliberations was set to resume this Tuesday but canceled it ahead of its morning schedule. “The Executive branch is in a hurry to pass the emergency powers bill, but based on our hearings, we have […]
QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — Renewing his call for emergency powers to alleviate Metro Manila traffic, President Rodrigo Duterte during his First State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday said that it was up to the Congress to grant what he described “the most urgent” solution to commuters’ woes. “The worsening traffic situation can be addressed if congress will also grant Emergency Powers,” Duterte said He, however, said that if the congress will […]
BUSAN, South Korea (Eagle News Service) — President Aquino challenged Senator Sergio Osmena III to take the blame and be the first to explain to the public in case the country experiences power outages next year. The President made the call after the lawmaker opposed the granting of emergency powers to him that would have allowed the government to contract additional generating capacity mechanisms. “Senator Serge, with all due respect, is saying all these things […]
The Malacañang assured the public regarding their concerns on the President’s emergency powers, saying that said powers are laid down in the law and would be used carefully by the President to avert the power crisis.
The Senate leadership guaranteed that they will prioritize the plenary hearing regarding the grant of emergency powers to the President to avert the looming energy crisis next year.
The House of Representatives is not convinced that there is a need to give President Aquino emergency powers to deal with the looming power crisis in 2015. According to the House Committee on Energy, there is little possibility of said power crisis occurring.
House Committee on Energy is considering the term limits of the emergency powers to be given to President Aquino to resolve the possible electricity shortage in 2015.
Malacañang clears that they are asking for additional authority for President Aquino, not emergency powers. According to Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, they will distance themselves from the term “emergency powers”, which is under the Constitution, while “additional authority” is under the EPIRA law. The Palace said that they are ready to coordinate with the Congress to solve the looming energy crisis.
House majority leader Neptali Gonzales said that it will be hard for the proposed emergency powers of the President to pass in the Congress, saying that the public will find it hard to accept.
Malacañang cannot say that there will be no increase in the price of electricity once President Aquino is given emergency powers. Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that it is DOE Secretary Jericho Petilla who knows the mechanism on how the electricity industry will run under the emergency powers of the President. Lacierda added that the government’s main concern is to ensure that there will be no shortage in the energy supply come summer of 2015.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is in favor of giving emergency powers to President Aquino to resolve the looming energy crisis. She made the statement after the Senate received the Aquino’s letter, asking Congress to pass a joint resolution regarding his emergency powers. Santiago believes that it is necessary to give the President emergency powers to quickly resolve the energy crisis. But she also added that 6 months of emergency powers is more than enough.
