Poe: Veto of transportation safety board bill ‘unfortunate’

Senator Grace Poe on Saturday said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos' veto of the bill establishing a Philippine transportation safety board was “unfortunate,” noting that road accidents should no longer be overlooked.

Marcos vetoed House Bill No. 9030 and Senate Bill No. 1077 - “An Act Establishing the Philippine Transportation Safety Board, Defining its Powers and Functions, and Appropriating Funds Therefore” - explaining that creating a new body would only “create functional duplication, confusion as to authority, ineffectiveness, and deficiency in the performance of the responsibilities.”

In response, Poe said a close review of the bill's provisions “would reveal that all functions and mandates are not at all duplicated.”

“The need for an independent agency to investigate transport accidents is a global standard which should have been in place. An important outcome of the body will be safety recommendations to avert the next accident,” she said.

“The veto is unfortunate given that from 2016 to 2020 alone, a total of 483 accidents have been recorded in the maritime sector, while the road sector reported a 12,487 yearly average deaths due to road crashes,” she added.

Poe also said the creation of the safety board will contribute to strengthening the country’s transportation structure to improve mobility.

“Safety should be no accident. While we recognize the challenging fiscal position of the government, the mounting toll of road accidents must no longer be overlooked,” she said.

'Unnecessary strain'

Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Sunday said that vetoing proposed bills should be avoided, noting that the President’s veto power “puts an unnecessary strain” between the legislative and executive branches of the government.

He thus spoke to Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez and Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo for the immediate establishment of a Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to have “proper coordination” between both branches.

He also stressed the need for a good Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Secretary “who can easily communicate with both branches of government for a harmonious discussion and passage of bills.”

“We acknowledge that the veto power is a prerogative of the President but it puts [an] unnecessary strain on the relationship between legislators and the executive. This should be avoided,” Zubiri said.

“With these two developments, I’m confident that the veto of future bills will be avoided,” he added. — DVM, GMA News