PRRD to maximize powers for ‘Build, Build, Build’

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the DusitD2 Davao Hotel in Davao City on September 27, 2019. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte will maximize the use of his “available” powers to ensure the full and effective implementation of his administration’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program, Malacañang said on Saturday.

“The President will implement and maximize what is presently available under our laws for this purpose,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

His latest statement came two days after he considered as “good idea” the proposal to grant emergency powers to Duterte to speed up the implementation of the current administration’s infrastructure program.

On Wednesday, Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda filed House Bill 5456, granting special powers to the Chief Executive in adopting a “national policy” in fast-tracking the implementation of the “Build, Build, Build” program on or before 2022.

Panelo, however, said the proposed measure is “no longer a priority legislative agenda” of Duterte, considering the time constraint.

“While we respect the wisdom of Congress and laud the gentleman from Albay in seeing the importance of this flagship infrastructure program of the current government, we consider this proposed measure belated and no longer a priority legislative agenda of the President, given that we only have less than three years left in office,” he said.

The Duterte government allots PHP9 trillion for the implementation of around 100 big-ticket infrastructure projects and over 10,000 small infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program.

Panelo noted that there was progress in the implementation of the infrastructure program, citing the figures recently released by Bases Conversion and Development Authority president and chief executive officer Vivencio Dizon who also serves as Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects.

Around 38 out of the revised list of 100 key infrastructure projects are expected to be completed by 2022, while 22 are “partially operational or substantially completed” and the remaining 40 would be finished “beyond 2022,” Dizon said in a Palace economic briefing on Wednesday.

Dizon also noted that 35 flagship infrastructure projects are ongoing, 32 will commence construction in the next six to eight months, 21 are in the advanced stages of government approval, and 12 in the advanced stages of a feasibility study.

Panelo was confident that all infrastructure projects “will be started within the governance of this Administration.”

“One of the inherent powers of the State is the power of eminent domain where pertinent government offices, through the Office of the Solicitor General, may expropriate or initiate proceedings there for to acquire private property for public use,” he said.

“This power is particularly essential in securing rights of way, an issue that hampered the construction of vital infrastructure. The current agencies involved in the infrastructure program are presently utilizing this process,” Panelo added.