llwroNtsolY, nnaY zz, zors

Those EDSA bus terminals

ber of the minority in the House.
Atienza retorted he was also a mem-
ber of the minority and more senior
than Garbin who kept his silence
knowing he was out of his league
against Atienza.
"Here we have a solution being of-
CLEARLY those terminals of pro fered by the Pr€sident. Why is there.
vincial buses along EDSA contrib- a member of Colgress shooting the
rlte to the heavy trafrc on the coun- proposal down like he has mole the
try's only expr€ssway. Instead of an inter€st ofthe bus companies?" asked
EDSA has become a .Atienza whose debate with Garbin
"xprcssway,
long part<ing lot"There are no morc was carried live by CNN Philippines.
. peak ind off-p"ak hours from north Atienza on occasion has difrtred
Those...
tnmtl
Perhaps the presidency in the
2022 elections, when Digong steps
down after his six-year term. But
then there's Inday Sara, presiden-
tial daughter and Davao City. mayor
who gained a big political following
as shown in the crowd who attended
her campaign for the Dulerte senato-
rial candidacy. T\e 2022 presidential
race indeed is going to be interesting .

to soqth in this most travelled major with Plesident f)uterte's government if we throw in Manny Pacquiao in the
highway. The hcaw trafEc costs the equation.
economy millions of pesos a daY in Atienza pointed out that the Long
busrness and man-hours.
lost buiiness man-hours. , r' Island Expressway in New.York was
Yet to hear one congressman criti- ll nSn hos become a
cize the Duterle administration solu- lOnA OOfkina lOt.tl
tion to the pmblem by banning pro- JI J aa a long parking lot like EDSA until .
NYC traffic mrmagers opened a s1r- i
HT#.,lY"ffi '#;,,:':f" l?:fi -'__-:j:- cial lane for vehicles carrying at least ,
two or three passengers. The idea -
think this legislator does not care

driven in his air conditioned car with

special lieense plaies. Or he lives in
--
because he commutes to Congress. policy, but banning provincial
tenhinals on Edsa is one he
bus
agrees
with to ease traffic on this major road
gorked and there is now less traffic '
on thg LIE. There used to be such a '
plan 6r EDSA but as usual there was
no implementation after the MMDA "
one of those gated communities near artery. Lito, a former two.tenn mayor ,nd IJFRB announcement.
Congress. Manila, knows whereof he speaks.
"Adding to the traffic woes is that
This pmmprcd Buhay Party-List He knows the metro landscape and the provincial busses load and unload r
"

Rep. Lito Atienza to confront Ako the movement of people who work passengers along EDSA instead ofl
Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin for be- and live in the metro ff€a. going direct to the terminal. We see '
ing insensitive to the plight of daily On House politics, Atienza said these busses clogging the aesigna{.ed l
commuters using EDSA to go to their if asked for his suppor! he would area for city buSes. This is anarchy
place of work. Garbin said commut- throw it behind l,eyte Rep. Martin against the whole of society," said
ers living outside the Metro area now Romualez'i bid for the Speakership. Atienza.
haye to pay the extxa fare after being He's a friend and quite qualified for
dropped off by the provincial bus- the House leadership, added Atienza- nt
ses at the city boundrry. Atbrtza, on While Romualdez has a good chance 4gzt -AS,l
the other hand , said there are just as of assuming the Hous€ speakership,
hany if not more commuters who use it looks like Senate Pr€sident Tito
EDSA, Iflate for work because ofthe Sotto will r€tain the top post in the
cfawl of traffic on EDSA, these com- upper chamber, with Dut€rte's newly
muters could los€ theirjobs adding to elected senators expressing their sup-
the millions.of unemployed Filipinos. port. In additidn, seMtorial topnotch-
This led to a heated verbal ex- er Cynthia Villar saying she has no
change between Atienza and Garbin interest in the Senate presidency.
who said he was speaking as a mem-