By Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte is planning to use the road user's tax to implement flood mitigation projects in disaster-prone Bicol region. The President visited storm-hit Camarines Sur Friday and announced he would prioritize Bicol to benefit from such revenues amid moves to abolish the corruption-ridden Road Board. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, together with his Cabinet members and local government officials, holds a situation briefing after his aerial inspection on the aftermath of Tropical Depression (TD) 'Usman' at the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC) in Pili, Camarines Sur on January 4, 2019. (PCOO/ Facebook) "Basta ang pangako ko once that road tax money is freed, you will be the first recipients of projects dito kasi kayo ang tinatamaan palagi ," Duterte said during the situation briefing attended by several Cabinet members and concerned national and local government officials. Duterte made the proposal after some local officials proposed the dredging of silted rivers to ease flooding in Bicol region during the meeting. Bicol was among the regions severely affected by torrential rains of tropical depression Usman last week. The storm triggered landslides and floods that left 122 people dead, 28 missing and 60 injured in the affected places as of January 3. Damage to agriculture has reached P801 million, according to officials. In the same remarks, the President said he intends to talk to Congress leaders on the proposed abolition of the Road Board amid allegations of corruption. He noted that the management of the road tax could be transferred to the Department of Publics and Highways or another government agency. Duterte said the board, which oversees P45-billion funds collected from motor vehicle user's charge for road maintenance, among others, has become a "milking cow" of corrupt officials. "Kausapin ko si Senate President pati si Speaker, wala akong objection kung tanggalin. Tatanggalin ko talaga 'yan. It cannot remain. P

i*** corruption ," he said. "Ilagay ko DPWH or what, payag ako unahin kayo dito... I will commit to you that the very first project undertaken under that fund if it's transferred to DPWH or Agriculture, okay ako. We'll start with (you)," he said. Duterte also candidly admitted that he gives priority to Bicol region in terms of project allocation because “you have a very beautiful Vice President here.” Vice President Leni Robredo, who hails from Naga City, was not present in the situation briefing held in Pili, Camarines Sur. The Senate has passed the bill on the abolition of Road Board and transfer of the management of the road user's tax to the DPWH and the Department of Transportation. The House has yet to pass its version of the bill.