Senator Grace Poe
MANILA -- Senator Grace Poe on Thursday called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to provide a specific list of projects that will be covered by the emergency powers for President Rodrigo Duterte to ease traffic congestion in the country.
Poe also urged the DOTr to submit a traffic management plan to counter the effects of numerous infrastructure projects in relation to the worsening traffic.
She made the statement in response to the renewed call of the DOTr for Congress to pass the bill as a solution to address the country's traffic woes.
"We were all for passing the bill last Congress, if not for the failure of the DOTr to submit to us the list of projects that will be covered by the grant of powers," she said.
"Everything must be well-defined. Hindi puwede ang (We cannot allow a) blanket grant of emergency powers under the Constitution," she added.
The senator said President Duterte could also certify the bill as urgent to rally his allies in both Houses to support the bill's passage.
"Any bill that will improve the quality of public services must certainly be prioritized," she said.
"Its approval, however, will depend on a lot of factors—the cooperation of both Houses of Congress, the clarity of its objectives, compliance by agencies to the important data required and, if absolutely necessary, a certification of urgency from the President," she added. (PNA)
