Poe hopes Duterte will certify new emergency power bill as urgent, DOTr will submit relevant docs

Senator Grace Poe expressed hope Thursday that the proposed emergency power for President Rodrigo Duterte to address the country's traffic woes will be finally certified as urgent and the Department of Transportation will submit the relevant data requested by the lawmakers.

Poe, who chaired the public services committee in the 17th Congress, said any bill that will improve the quality of public services must certainly be prioritized.

“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 said.

She also said it is best for the Department of Transportation to be reminded of what her fellow senators has asked for during the last Congress, particularly the specific list of projects as well as the traffic management plan to counter the effects of numerous infra projects in relation to the worsening traffic.

“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,” said Poe.

“Everything must be well-defined. Hindi puwede ang blanket grant of emergency powers under the Constitution. And of course, we will also need the support of the President to rally his troops in both Houses to support the bill. If the administration wants it, they can certify it as urgent,” she added.

In the last Congress, Poe urged Malacanang to certify the bill as urgent but the latter failed to do so. Poe's committee submitted the bill to the plenary but it was not discussed.

Neophyte Senator Francis Tolentino filed a bill seeking to grant emergency powers for two years to President Rodrigo Duterte to address traffic problems in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro, and other highly urbanized cities. — MDM, GMA News