By Genalyn Kabiling
Travel between Cubao to Makati will soon be reduced to five minutes amid the government's ongoing transport infrastructure project in the metropolis, President Duterte said last Wednesday.
The President said EDSA could be turned into a garbage dumpsite once the construction of the proposed elevated expressway is completed to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally at the F. L. Dy Memorial Coliseum in Cauayan City, Isabela on March 13, 2019. (ALFRED FRIAS / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
"Give me until June, July --- o pinakasigurado September --- iyang Cubao, Makati, we’ll give you a ride in five minutes," the President said during the PDP-Laban campaign rally in Isabela.
"Tingnan man ninyo ‘pag na-connect na ‘yan, ah wala na. Eh ‘yung --- ‘yung EDSA gawain ko na lang --- diyan na lang ang basura ninyo. Para basurahan na lang. Dito na lang kayo sa itaas ," he said, without identifying the infrastructure project.
Among the pending projects aimed to ease Manila traffic are the NLEX-SLEX connector road project and the first-ever Metro Manila Subway.
In his speech, the President acknowledged that the traffic situation along EDSA remained "monstrous."
He mentioned again his attempt to solve traffic congestion along EDSA when he asked for emergency powers from Congress. His proposal however was denied by lawmakers due to concerns it might supposedly be prone to corruption.
"It was really a monstrous thing and still is now. And everybody agreed that I will need money and as fast as I can get it because they want a solution to the problem in an instant, at once,” he said.
Duterte previously said he has fulfilled his campaign promises except easing traffic congestion along EDSA due to the refusal of Congress to grant him emergency powers.
The President said his "personal satisfaction" was he has done his best to improve the plight of Filipinos.
"I’m not trying to say na remember me. As a matter of fact, ‘pag wala na ako, forget me. Ako --- ako ‘yon, ‘yung personal satisfaction kung may ginawa ako. Ginawa ko lahat ,” he said.