By Genalyn D. Kabiling
A mass transport system is the only way progressive urban centers like Cebu could escape horrendous road traffic situation, President Duterte said Thursday.
The President, however, acknowledged that building mass transport systems such as railways would take a long time and cost a lot of money.
“It behooves upon the Department of Transportation to improve things including traffic. It falls under his jurisdiction. And the only way the Cebuanos can escape and maybe Davao and some Iloilo, they are getting progressive but in time, it’s really to go to mass transport system,” Duterte said during a press conference at the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2.
“For places na bago lang like Gensan, it was a very wide highways, they can maybe choose ‘yung sa gitna. But all others Davao, you have to go up. Monorail or whatever, you have to go up,” he said.
Duterte said government infrastructure projects like mass transport systems are expensive not only in terms of land acquisition but also in legal battles against some disgruntled parties.
“It was expensive to acquire all of those properties. You will not complete it in 100 years. If ‘yung kukunin mo diyan, you have to – you know, buy the easements and the space,” he said.
“And you will run afoul with so many cases injunction dito, injunction doon,” he added.
The President renewed his warning to the courts against delaying government infrastructure projects by issuing unnecessary restraining orders.
He said the country would “go nowhere” if the government is stuck with court battles with losing bidders. “Ito namang mga korte and some judges for that matter are simply also to – I don’t know. I told them do not – do not issue injunctions. Do not interfere in government,” he said.
“Sabi ko sa korte do not because it will delay and people are increasing, the space is getting small because more people are in it. So if you keep on delaying it further, this country will go nowhere,” he added.
