No blanket authority for transport dep’t

The emergency powers the Department of Transportation (DOT) is seeking to solve land and air traffic in Metro Manila must be thoroughly scrutinized to ensure that these are really needed, according to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

“It cannot be a blanket authority,” Alvarez told reporters at the House of Representatives last Friday, when the appropriations committee deliberated on the DOT’s proposed P55.4-billion budget for 2017.

Alvarez, who served as transportation secretary during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, issued the warning as he questioned the lackluster performance and possible vested interests of some DOT officials.

“All I want is that while they are in government, they

should serve the government and its interest alone. That’s why we here in Congress are always mindful and we’re always monitoring that, especially in the budget proposals,” he explained.

“We want to make sure that the budget of every department is for the interest of the Filipino people and not for the interest of some businessmen,” the House leader stressed.

Alvarez cited the fact that Undersecretary for Railway Noel Kintanar is a former assistant vice president of Ayala Corp. while Undersecretary for Air Operations Bobby Lim was also former country manager of the International Air Transport Association.

“Let us not fool ourselves. In every administration, private corporations put their people in departments covering their business... Whose interests are you serving?” Alvarez said, citing the case of former president Benigno Aquino III’s former Cabinet members.

On the other hand, Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu called on concerned agencies in Metro Manila to come up with a concerted effort to improve the traffic situation that is expected to worsen ahead of the Christmas season.

Abu said shifting the international container traffic from Metro Manila to Batangas and Subic ports will definitely help ease the worsening traffic congestion in the metropolis.

Abu said the Christmas rush may prove to be costly for the country’s stable economy.

“Our officials should be prepared for the Christmas rush by starting to clear some Metro Manila roads. We should make sure that we can handle the additional traffic flow,” Abu said.

He also renewed his call to transfer to Batangas and Subic ports the bulk of cargo trucks operating in Metro Manila.

“I will continue my similar call during the 16th Congress to decongest Manila ports and support any move by the Duterte administration to fully utilize these government investments in Batangas and Subic ports,” he said.