PNoy appoints new MMDA chief replacing Tolentino

President Benigno Aquino III has appointed lawyer Emerson Carlos as the new chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), replacing Francis Tolentino, who resigned to pursue his senatorial bid in the 2016 elections.

“Ang ating MMDA Chairman si Atty. Emerson Carlos, dating assistant general manager for operations siya. Ito nirekomenda ng outgoing—‘yung dating ating Chair na si Francis Tolentino. Permanent si Atty. Carlos,” Aquino told reporters in Eastern Samar on Friday where he attended its 50th founding anniversary.

Carlos was appointed MMDA officer-in-charge following Tolentino's resignation.

Tolentino resigned earlier this month in preparation for his senatorial candidacy in the 2016 national elections.

He was supposed to run under the administration party, but withdrew from being considered to be part of the senatorial slate after being dragged into a controversy involving a supposedly lewd performance of an all-girl group during a Liberal Party (LP) event in Laguna.

Aquino on traffic

In Samar, Aquino faced questions on whether the new MMDA chief could handle the traffic situation in Metro Manila, especially with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Week to be held in Pasay City on the third week of November.

Aquino said that apart from long-term solutions, his administration is continuously studying measures that could be implemented immediately to ease the traffic situation in Metro Manila.

“Halos every other week yata meron kaming meeting ng traffic. Si CabSec ang isang nakatutok rin dito sa traffic situation...['Yung] traffic nga sa labas, hinahanapan ng dagdag pang makukuha nating solusyon dito sa problemang ito,” he said, referring to Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.

Long-term solution

"Hinahanap natin hindi 'yung pangmatagalang solusyon, nandiyan na e. Maraming tinatayo na kayo na mismong testigo. ‘Yung pangmatagalang solusyon, hindi matutugunan ‘yung kasalukuyang problema," Aquino said.

Aquino admitted that the heaviest traffic situation is still along the major highway of EDSA, which he said only has a holding capacity of 13,600 vehicles per hour.

“Now it’s 18,000, di ba? ‘Yung EDSA ang pinakamadugo. Kagabi dinaanan ko ‘yung EDSA, nakita kung gaano talaga—parang feel na feel ko ‘yung traffic na dinadaanan ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.

Aquino again reiterated his earlier argument that traffic was a sign of progress, citing growth in the car sales business.

“Pero ulit lang, hindi ba valid ‘yung comment ko na ‘yung car sales nga natin, parang may ibang study nagsasabi 300 percent growth, may nagsasabi 150 percent growth,” he said. —Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/KBK, GMA News