DUTERTE'S 'WARS.' President-elect Rodrigo Duterte says he will declare a war against drugs and traffic on May 28, 2016.
DAVAO CITY, Philippines
– President-elect Rodrigo Duterte will prioritize the construction of a
railway, he told media during a press conference on Saturday night, May 28.
"My first major
project will be a railway," he said, adding that he needed to declare a
"war" against transportation woes.
"I have to declare
a crisis in the war against crime, and dito sa part of the
commuter, trains and all. May crisis ako diyan. My crisis begins with EDSA," he said.
(I have to declare a
crisis in the war against crime, and on the part of the commuter, trains and
all. I have a crisis there. My crisis begins with EDSA.)
Duterte to declare 'war' vs commuter woes. Says crisis begins in EDSA. pic.twitter.com/L0byBUqrs1— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) May 29, 2016
He wants 4 railway
systems.
"It’s Manila-Nueva
Vizcaya then Manila-Sorsogon, Manila to Batangas, and the whole Mindanao,"
he said.
During the campaign season,
Duterte said the way to solve
Metro Manila traffic is to
decongest the megacity by spurring
development in the provinces. He has said one way to do this is to improve
interconnection of provinces through railways.
China to build railways?Duterte describes 4 railway systems he wants. Says China may be involved in railway project. pic.twitter.com/xY8weAiQGD— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) May 29, 2016
How will his government
manage to pay for these trains?
"It may involve
another country. Frankly, we do not have the money for it," he told media.
Asked if he is referring
to China, he said, "Maybe."
On the campaign trail,
Duterte said he may ask China to build
him railways in
exchange for hammering out a deal on the West Philippine Sea.
But asked on Saturday if
this arrangement may influence the country's pursuit of its claim over the
disputed sea, he said, "Just
because you are building me a railway doesn't mean I’m abandoning Scarborough
Shoal."
He said the Philippines,
under his administration, will continue to insist on its ownership of the West
Philippine Sea.
"I told you, that
is ours, you have no right to be there. Whether you believe it or not, fine by
me, but that will be the predicate of any further discussions about those
territory of ours," he said.
PPP under Duterte?
While the 4 railways may
be built by another country, they will be managed by the Philippine government,
he said.
But what will happen to
train systems in Metro Manila currently being run by the private sector?
Duterte said he would retain this arrangement.
"I am in favor of
proprietary activity of interest to the government, the private persons can
maintain it. Walang problema tayo (We don't have a problem). It’s more
efficient. It’s keeping up with the quality, with whats required," he said.
But he expressed cynism
over the Aquino administrations' Public-Private Partnership program, implying
that he found it to be slow.
"To me, it’s very
contentious activity, kung gusto ko madali (if I want things done fast)," he said.
But he denied plans he
would junk the program. – Rappler.com
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