Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said they will no longer be pushing for the approval of emergency powers for President Rodrigo Duterte to solve Metro Manila traffic.
“Kung ayaw nila ibigay, huwag na, kasi paiksi nang paiksi ang oras,” Tugade said in an interview with GMA News.
He said that the Duterte administration is running out of time to solve traffic through the granting of emergency powers.
“Noon pa namin hinihingi yan, sa umpisa ng termino ng ating Pangulo. Ngayon, 1,021 days na lang ang termino ng ating Pangulo. Kung ayaw nilang ibigay, sa kanila na yan,” Tugade added.
Senator Grace Poe said that the government has yet to present a masterplan on how the emergency powers will be used.
Tugade refuted Poe’s claims and said that they were not given the opportunity to present their plans at the Senate hearing.
“Nung nag-hearing kami, hindi kami binigyan ng pagkakataon na ilahad o i-amplify yung aming mga plano,” he said.
The Transportation Secretary believed that Poe is politicizing the issue of emergency powers.
