Ambush interview of Senator JV Ejercito

SJVEE- Oo malaki-laki yung na slash sa DOTr pero ako naman being the Transportation advocate malaki kasi ang ano ko eh ang paniniwala na we really have to invest in infrastructures sa tingin ko ito yung talagang weakest link n gating ekonomiya kung baki gumaganda ng bahagya ang ekonomiya natin pero hindi na re reach yung full potential kasi nga mahina ang ating infrastructure, we have, malaki yung kaylangan nating habulin in terms of infrastructures development kung ihahambing tayo sa mga karatig bansa na natin, I think we are 30's behind, so ako I would support yung ma retain yung 160 billion kasi ang daming ginagawa ngayon, PNR North line, PNR South Line, commuter line from Manila to Malolos and Manila to Calamba, yung mga upgrading of the airports na kinakaylangan din because dahil sa physical imitation ng NAIA the only way we can decongest NAIA is to upgrade all the other commercial airports capability operations, ako sabi ko nga ang DOTr si Secretary Tugade and the whole DOTr family, malaki ang papel na gagampanan nila in situation right now, hindi lang ito convenience, hindi lanng ito infrastructure improvement pero it's all about economic development especially ngayon na medyo mataas ang inflation, mataas ang presyo ng mga bilihin, nagiging restless na ang taong bayan eh, hay naku dapat bilisan nila we have to Fas tract all this projects kasi ito lang ang tingin kong mag mimitigate o magso-soften ng effects ng inflations, this would be jobs, this would be opportunity, tsaka yung multiplier effects brought about by big constructions projects will be enormous na talagang mamiitigate yung inflationary effect.

Q- Yung kinukwestyon niyo rin sa DOTr absorbtive capacity, may commitment ba sila na kapag binalik yung budget lahat matatapos ang project na paglalaanan nito?

SJVEE- Well yun talaga ang laging question, yung absorptive capacity, yung utilization ng budget pero sa tingin ko sa dami ng mga naka line up ngayon, na tapos na yung mga planning station, the others are already nasa execution na eh, sa akin talagang buhusan natin ang DOTr, buhusan natin ang infrastructutes development kasi ang ano ko rito, yung economic benefits, yung mga bawat probinsya na magkakaroon ng bagong airports, magkakaroon ng dadaanan ng railway, talagang ano eh, magkakaroon ng growth development areas, tsaka especially halimbawa na lang sa airports halimbawa eastern sides ng davao and on the western sides kapag nadagdagan ng airports more economic activity, merong tourism, merong business sympre may mga problema sa mga rebellion, sa mga insurgency, mawawala rin yun, ang dami mong maso-solved by pushing massive infrastructures organization program.

Q- Sir yung emergency powers hindi po natin ipu-push?

SJVEE- ako if by own opinion malaki ang maitutulong niyan, the least we want to happen in any project kasi nga yung mga injunction, yung mga ____ problems, procurement talagang matagal eh and I don't think can afford any longer especially dun sa mga massive infra and the railways, modern airports, 30 years na tayong behind, in terms of infrastructure development and we have a lot of catching up to do. So, ako kung ma pu-push pa rin ang emergency powers sa tingin ko makakabilis ito we can fast track all this especially the railway projects malaki ang maitutulong nito eh, especially for economic development of the country side, kung baga mas spread out natin yung development.

Q- Ibri-bringout niyo pa rin Sir?

SJVEE- Ako kasi ako nag author niyan eh, kung sana, kung I would think kung merong emergency powers mas mapapabilis yung ma pa fast track natin yung pag expedite nung mga projects mas mapapabilis kasi ngayon kapag may injunction, halimbawa may matalo sa bidding, mag file sa lower courts innjunction kaagad, the whole projects suffers already, made delay kaagad. So under the emergency powers is the only court that can issue injunction id only the Supreme Court, we cannot afford delay anymore. 30 years another 2, 3 years ma de delay wow eh talagang mapag iiwanan na tayo and you must remember 30 thousand cars ang nadadagdag sa ating lansangan kada taon. Things are not gonna get better if we do not fast tract all of this major infrastructure project, kaya ako very passionate ako dito kasi nag aalala na rin ako na talagang at the rate that the people buying cars, nadadagdag sa ating mga lansangan eh kung hindi pa natin ilatag ang mga riles na yan eh talagang mag ____ na tayo dito.

Q ....

SJVEE- Well actually ano eh, sinabi niya noon na wheter ibigay niya o hindi okay lang, ako personally tingin ko mas mapapabilis kung meron tayong emergency power kasi po yung injunction atleast may exemption na its already the supreme court so atleast maiwasan na natin yung mga delays, brought about by cases filed in the lower court, second yung sa procurement nagkakaroon ng konting hindi man lay-way but siguro sa procurement para mapabilis din ay yung bidding process ay gusto rin natin mapabilis at the same time in exchange on some exemption on the procurement process, kaylangan FOI compliant. In that way mapapabilis natin.

Q-

SJVEE- Hindi napag usapan pero nagkaroon na ng hearing, I think senator Grace, sinabi niya minsan na baka kaylangan pa , kaya lang medyo nahuhuli na ngayon eh, medyo late na pero ako I would still think na ano, na malaki ang maitutulong, kasi ngayon nagkaka problema pa rin may mga renovate problems pa rin, meron pa ding ofcourse yung mga innjunctions pa rin kung saka-sakali, so and this cause of delaus, sabi ko nga we can't wait anymore, 1-2 years of delays is just talagang magmu-multiply lang yung problema natin sa nangyayari ngayon. 1 or 2 years is there 1 million cars is added to our state

Q-

SJVEE- Siguro, I would ano baka next year I would ask my chair the committee on public services, pero ako if you would ask me I would still recommend emergency powers be gotten the president to less the transportation process, kasi crisis na tayo eh we are on the crisis situation because of the transport system, so malaki ang maitutulong talaga, and you can expedite all this projects right away without delays hopefully maka catch up tayo dun sa 25 o 30 years na delay natin in terms of infrastructure development.

Q-

SJVEE- hindi pa natin sila nakakausap, the chairman of the finance Senator was present Loren was there and most of the Senators is supporting of our , we have to restore the budget on the DOTr kasi nga hindi na ito convenience, hindi lang tayo magkakaroon ng train system, magkakaroon ng airports, this means jobs and opportunities kasi pag nagkaroon tayo ng modern effort, ng maayos na railway system, we will create new , and that's the best mitigation, and that's the best solution to inflation for new opportunities.