Torre to handle 70%-80% of MMDA operations —Artes

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Nicolas Torre III will handle around 70% to 80% of the agency’s operations, MMDA chairman Romando Artes said Monday.

“Basically nag-usap na kami kasama ‘yung top management ng MMDA at lahat ng operation matters na may kinalaman sa ahensya, which is I think 70% to 80% ng trabaho ng MMDA will be under him directly,” Artes said in a briefing.

(Basically, we already talked together with the top management of the MMDA, and all operation matters related to the agency, which is I think 70% to 80% of the work of the MMDA, will be under him directly.)

Artes said this will allow him to focus more on the administrative and planning aspect of the MMDA. 

Last week, Torre took his oath as general manager of the MMDA, replacing Procopio Lipana. 

READ: Nicolas Torre: The New MMDA General Manager

Meanwhile, Artes said Torre will also serve as the MMDA’s spokesperson.

“Si GM Torre na ang magiging designated spokesperson ng MMDA. So lahat ng request for interviews, sa kanya niyo na po i-course,” he said in an ambush interview.

(GM Torre will now be the designated spokesperson of the MMDA. So please course all requests for interviews through him.)

Torre previously served as chief of the Philippine National Police but he was relieved in August. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously said Torre was removed after he ''did not agree with the directives that were coming out of NAPOLCOM."

Artes said that Torre will prioritize the discipline of traffic enforcers and will review the traffic management of areas such as the Marcos Highway and Commonwealth. 

Meanwhile, when asked why he was appointed to the MMDA, Torre said it was up to the President.

“Ang tingin ko naman sa buong makinarya ng gobyerno ay malaking team. Kumbaga sa basketball hindi naman araw-araw sasabihin ng coach ay forward ka, or ito ang role mo. May option ang ating coach, ang ating Presidente, kung saan niya ilalagay ang kanyang mga tao,” Torre said.

(I view the entire machinery of government as one big team. Like in basketball, the coach doesn’t say every day that you are a forward, or that this is your role. Our coach, our President, has the option of where to place his people.)

“Ako naman, kung ano ang sinabi ng coach, sunod tayo… ako ay naniniwala walang malaki o maliit na roles eh. Pare-pareho ‘yan na lahat ay serbisyong publiko,” he added.

(As for me, whatever the coach says, I follow… I believe there are no big or small roles. They are all the same, all are public service.) —AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News