Poe hopes Lim, Tugade would attend traffic hearings sans subpoenas

Senator Grace Poe said on Tuesday that she hoped Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Danilo Lim would make time to attend the Senate hearings on the National Capital Region's transportation woes.

“Chairman Lim at Secretary Tugade, inaanyayahan po namin kayo na dumalo sa aming pagdinig, sa magandang paraan po namin hinihiling ‘yan sapagkat marami sa ating kababayan ang nais marinig kayo, kung anong plano ninyo,” explained Poe, chairperson of the Senate's Public Services Committee, after the hearing.

“Ayaw naman naming daanin sa subpoena pa ang pag-iimbita sapagkat alam naman namin na siguro ay may malasakit kayo sa inyong mga kababayan.”

The Senate can issue a subpoena to force resource persons to attend hearings if they refuse to do so despite several invitations.

The senator, earlier in the day, took particular note of Lim's absence despite his earlier confirmation that we would be attending.

“Ito nga ‘yung nakakalungkot ay hindi ito nga ‘yung nakakatawa hindi nga nila alam ang kung ano yung memorandum of agreement na pinirmahan. Sana kung gumawa sila ng dahilan, inayos na nila kung ano ‘yung sasabihin na nila,” she said.

She said she not was trying to insult Lim as she understood that he was frustrated with Metro Manila's traffic problems. Nevertheless, it was important for his views to be put on the record.

“Naiintindihan ko hindi madali ang trabaho na ‘yan. Pero magpakita ka at magpakatotoo ka sa ating mga kababayan. Sabihin mo na, 'Nahihirapan na ako, hindi nakikinig, eh.' Hindi ganito. Maiintindihan natin eh,” said Poe.

The senator also emphasized that it was important that Tugade be present for the hearings.

“Malungkot na hindi dumating dito si Chairman Danny Lim, pero dapat din si Secretary Tugade pumunta dito. Bakit, sinabi ng kanilang mga kinatawan, 'Ma’am hindi ba kayo kuntento sa aming paliwanag? Naipaliwanag na rin po namin.' Hindi sa hindi kuntento, kuntento pero pagdating sa accountability, pagdating sa deniability, ‘pag wala dito ‘yung mismong namumuno, pwede nilang sabihin, ni Secretary Tugade, pwedeng sabihin ni Chairman Danny Lim, 'Hindi ko naman ‘yan ino-authorize,'” she explained.

“So we need to hear from the top, kung ano ba talaga ang commitment nila. At saka ang ganda-gandang pakinggan ng mga plano nila pero ano ba ‘yung timeline nila. Ano ba talaga ‘yung presentation nila na hanggang ngayon ay wala pa,” Poe added.

Poe said she was aware that government officials were busy people. But that was true for all civil servants and the riding public. They thus needed to prioritize the public's concerns. — DVM/NB, GMA News