Senate aspirant Tolentino says MMDA needs revamp

Senatorial candidate Francis Tolentino believes the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) should be given more power in order for it to resolve the perennial traffic problem in the National Capital Region (NCR).

"Panahon na para i-revise natin, i-amend natin 'yung MMDA law. Baguhin po natin 'yung batas," Tolentino, who was MMDA chairman during the Aquino administration, said during the Debate 2019: The GMA Senatorial Face-off held Saturday.

Tolentino said the existing mandate of the agency does not cover pressing traffic issues such as train glitches, ballooning number of bus franchises in the metro, and closures of major roads due to infrastructure projects.

He cited best practices in Indonesia and Japan which he said may serve as a model for the Philippines in revamping the MMDA.

"I-pattern po natin doon sa Jakarta Metropolitan Authority na dating pinangunahan ni [Indonesian] President Widodo. I-pattern po natin sa Tokyo Metropolitan Government na maging yung mass transit system nila ay under nung metro governor nila," he said.

"Sa MMDA po ay parang titular head nalang ng Metro Manila Council yan eh," Tolentino added.

Tolentino, who served as President Rodrigo Duterte's political adviser before he resigned to run for senator in May,  also said that he's in favor of granting emergency powers to the President to tackle the land transport crisis in the country—a proposal that is pending in Congress.

—KBK, GMA News