Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go falsely claimed on Oct. 14 President Rodrigo Duterte never promised to solve traffic congestion.
Go told reporters at the Senate:
Hindi po siya nangako, mahirap talaga. Maybe mabawasan po, mabigyan ng kaunting solusyon yung trapiko, pero to solve? Napakahirap talaga i-solve ang trapiko (He never promised that, that's too hard. Maybe he said he will lessen, propose a small solution to traffic congestion, but solve? It's hard to solve traffic congestion).
Duterte had promised to solve traffic on at least three occasions.
During a campaign concert on Nov. 29, 2015, Duterte proposed solutions to traffic congestion, citing the need for improved airports, seaports, and inter-city transportation infrastructure. He also mentioned the need to borrow money from other countries or international agencies to solve the problem.
Ang city of Manila itself, hindi lang ‘yang EDSA, it’s overloaded. Araw araw yan ilang transaction regarding a motor vehicle. Meron ka dyang coding...e ang mga mayaman lang...ang kaya magka-kotse...Ngayon, kung gusto niyo presidente ako, mayor, maghiram ako ng pera kagaya kay Marcos...Hindi ako hawak nung pera, I will create a high commission. Sila ang magpapatakbo ng pera na hiram natin sa ibang bansa o sa ibang international agencies (The city of Manila itself, not just EDSA, is overloaded. Daily transactions of motor vehicles and number coding schemes only encourage the rich to buy more cars. Now, if you want me to be president, I will borrow money like Marcos. I will create a high commission to handle the money borrowed from other countries or international agencies).
In a Dec. 9, 2015 interview with DZMM TeleRadyo, Duterte reiterated plans to lessen congestion by dispersing industries, citing again that he would need funding.
Kung ako, if you trust me enough, I’ll borrow money and I will build new ports. I-disperse mo talaga pati itong industries (I will build new ports in order to disperse industries).
In the April 24, 2016 ABS-CBN presidential debate, Duterte promised to improve traffic in Metro Manila by improving railway operations.
I will improve MRT, LRT and build another railway.
However, on the Feb. 23 campaign rally for PDP-Laban, Duterte said he had fulfilled all of his campaign promises, aside from easing traffic congestion in EDSA. He attributed this to a lack of funds and Congress not granting him extraordinary powers.
EDSA, ‘yan lang ang...pangako na palpak. Bakit? Nung pagkapresidente ko sinabi [ko], kailangan ko pera...Sabi ko I have to have the authority, kagaya ‘yung binigay kay Cory nung sa --- Ramos, ‘yung electricity. So they were given extraordinary powers. Wala ng [sic] bidding-bidding (EDSA is my only unkept promise. Why? When I became president, I said I need funds. I said I need to have the authority, like what was granted to Cory [Aquino] and [Fidel] Ramos to address the electricity [crisis]. They were given extraordinary powers which removed the process of bidding).
(JRC)
References
ABS-CBN News. (2015, December 9). DZMM TeleRadyo: Ikaw Na Ba: Panayam kay Rodrigo Duterte (Ikalawang Bahagi). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0zo7eO61OY
ABS-CBN News. (2016, April 24). PiliPinas Debates 2016. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=950g5hwtAv8
Ranada, P. (2015, December 1). Duterte reveals plan to solve Metro Manila transpo woes. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/114450-rodrigo-duterte-metro-manila-traffic-transportation
Rappler. (2015, November 29). Duterte speech at MAD for Change Part 1. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmsCORB_0ks
Rappler.com. (2015, December 1). HIGHLIGHTS: MAD for Change concert. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/114552-highlights-mad-for-change-concert
Speech of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) Laguna Campaign Rally. (2019, February 23). Retrieved from https://pcoo.gov.ph/presidential-speech/speech-of-president-rodrigo-roa-duterte-during-the-partido-demokratiko-pilipino-lakas-ng-bayan-pdp-laban-laguna-campaign-rally/