Hiling na P12-B libreng sakay budget ng DOTr dapat matuloy at P4.7- B para sa plate number releasing ng LTO dapat dagdagan – Rep. Lee.

Kapakanan ng taong bayan partikular para sa mga estudyante ang nais nitong bagitong kongresista pero sa pagtulong beterano, dahil pipilitin ni AGRI Party List Rep. Wilbert Lee na mapapayag ang kanyang mga kasamahan sa Mababang Kapulungan na maipasa ang P12-B pondo para maipagpatuloy ng DOTr ang programang Libreng Sakay sa mamamayan.

Para sa mga Ka Usapang HAUZ maganda ang adhikain ni Cong. Lee biruin nyo malaking tulong hindi lang sa mga manggagawa na sakto lang ang kinikita sa araw-araw pati na rin ang mga estudyante sakaling maibabalik ang Libreng Sakay sa halip na ibayad sa bus ang pera sa canteen sigurado busog pa.

Napansin nga ni Rep. Lee mga Ka Usapang HAUZ, during the DOTr’s budget briefing, that despite the 121.5% increase in their proposed budget, certain programs of the agency that were included in the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA) were no longer in the proposed 2023 budget.

“For this year, nag-increase ang inyong proposed budget by 121%. Despite this, napansin ko na maraming naalis from 2022 GAA, yung budget for active transport, yung transition for transport workers, at yung isa dito yung Libreng Sakay katulad ng sa EDSA carousel,” pahayag ng Mambabatas.

“During this time na may pandemic pa rin, na sobrang taas ng presyo ng gasolina, bakit inalis itong Libreng Sakay? Without such program, ano yung alternative na naisip ng DOTr for this? Para makatulong naman tayo sa mobility at maibsan ang paghihirap ng ating mga kababayan,” ani Lee.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said they requested for P12 billion for programs such as the Libreng Sakay, a component of the service-contracting program of DOTr, but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) did not include such funding.

It was stated in the budget briefing that since Libreng Sakay is a non-recurring item, the allocation was scrapped despite it’s high-impact and benefit to the public.

Cong. Lee then appealed to grant the requested budget of DOTr for Libreng Sakay.

“At this point, I urge my colleagues that we reconsider granting the DOTr the P12 billion budget dahil malaking tulong ito sa ating commuting public. Sabi nga mismo ng DOTr, walang katumbas ang benepisyo nito. Hindi ito dapat alisin,”

The motion was duly noted by the Chair, saying it will be addressed during the period of amendments.

The lawmaker from Sorsogon then proceeded in inquiring about the backlogs of Land Transportation Office (LTO) in releasing plate numbers.

“May I be clarified kung nandito ba sa NEP (National Expenditure Program) yung budget na sinasabing kailangan ng LTO to address the backlog in plate numbers? I believe that with the able leadership of Asec. (Teofilo) Guadiz, masosolusyunan na itong backlog na ito,” paliwanag ni Lee Mga Ka Usapang HAUZ.

Responding to Lee, LTO Chief Guadiz said, “Ang binigay lang po sa’min sa NEP namin is 4.7 billion to address the issue of backlog. Unfortunately, what we need here to update the plates would be 6.6 billion. We would be very happy to have that at least para ma-address man lang namin yung 70-80 percent of the backlog at least for this year.”

Noting LTO’s plea, Lee moved to grant the said request, “Dahil ang problema natin sa plate numbers ay since 2015 pa, I also move na maibigay nang buo ang 6.6 billion na budget para matapos na ng LTO ang backlog sa plate numbers.”

In an interview with the media, Lee said addressing the backlog in releasing plate numbers will also help in fighting crimes, such as kidnapping.

“Ngayon na may mga nare-report na kidnapping cases, malaking tulong dito ang pag-address sa backlog sa plate numbers, na tatlong administrasyon na nating problema,” dagdag pa ng Mambabatas.

“Ang ganitong mga proyekto, ang Libreng Sakay, at paglalabas na ng mga plate numbers ay kailangang hanapan ng pondo, dapat itong gawing priority. Ako, actively, kakausapin ko ang mga kasamahan ko sa Kongreso na suportahan ako sa inisyatibang ito. I believe that while we are planning for the long-term, we should be doing short-term solutions,” muling pahayag ng Mambabatas mula Sorsogon.

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