Press Release
September 30, 2019

GRACE POE SPONSORSHIP SPEECH
on National Transportation Safety Board Act

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, good afternoon.

As Chairperson of the Committee on Public Services, I rise to sponsor Committee Report No. 8, which recommends the approval of Senate Bill No. 1077, otherwise known as the proposed "National Transportation Safety Board Act."

Mr. President, sa bawat limang minuto ng aking talumpati, posibleng may nangyayaring aksidente sa mga kalsada ng Kalakhang Maynila. This statistic is based on MMDA's Metro Manila Accident and Recording Analysis System which recorded 116,906 road accidents in 2018 - katumbas ng 320 na aksidente bawat araw o labintatlong aksidente kada oras.

Additionally, all transportation accidents carry hefty price tags. According to a 2005 study by the University of the Philippines, a road accident can cost up to P3.47 million in terms of damage to property and lost productivity. The 2018 World Health Organization Global Status Report on Road Safety revealed that road traffic injuries cost us about 2.6 percent of our entire gross domestic product. But then again, hindi malalagyan ng presyo ang mga buhay na nawala.

We had 394 road crash fatalities in Metro Manila just in 2018 alone. This does not yet include rail, marine and aircraft-related accidents.

Mr. President, nakakapanghinayang isipin na maaaring naiwasan ang karamihan ng mga aksidente na ito. Ngunit mahirap umiwas kung hindi tukoy ang sanhi ng mga aksidente. Mahirap tukuyin ang sanhi kung wala tayong sentral na ahensyang humahawak sa imbestigasyon ng mga ito.

Our convoluted governance of the transport sector adds to the tragedy. For example, as many as four national government agencies-LTO, LTFRB, MMDA, and the PNP-Highway Patrol Group and six local government units--have jurisdiction over buses which pass through EDSA. Ngunit may nalalaglag pa rin na bus sa Skyway. Any one of these agencies may be the first responders to the scene but no single agency really sits down and looks at what really went wrong or how we can prevent it.

Thus, the present Committee report proposes the creation of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) which will focus on road safety. The NTSB will be a seven-member board which will investigate air, highway, railroad, pipeline and maritime accidents. The report of such investigation will be submitted to Congress within 60 days from completion.

Mr. President, bibigyan natin ng sapat na mandato ang NTSB. Halimbawa, bibigyan natin ng Visitorial Power ang NTSB para makapasok sila sa lugar ng aksidente. Maaari rin nilang suriin ang anumang parte o component ng motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, o pipeline na naging sanhi ng sakuna. It can decide the manner of inspection, examine evidence, require reports, call for hearings and other powers related to its investigation.

The NTSB will also proactively conduct studies on making the transport sector as safe as possible. As such, the Board will look into the causes and determinants of accidents and help craft policies which will prevent them from recurring. Para wala na pong sinasarang kaso ng nahulog na bus o lumubog na barko na wala man lamang maayos na pagsisiyasat at resolusyon.

With an NTSB, we will finally have an agency with the mandate to not only investigate but also propose solutions.

Ang mahirap kasi, Mr. President, minsan, halimbawa na lang: isang bus na luma, nawalan ng preno, hindi maganda ang maintenance, ang mismong nag-iimbestiga ay 'yun din ang nagbigay ng permit sa bus na 'yon na makapagbiyahe. Ito po 'yung LTO, so kung ang LTO din ang mag-iimbestiga, siyempre mahihirapan din tayong siguraduhing walang conflict of interest.

I've said this before and I will say it again: The NTSB can save lives. Hindi dapat na kung kailan may aksidente, doon pa lamang tayo kikilos. Policy recommendations should be based on facts and thorough research; not on knee-jerk reactions and band-aid solutions.

The enactment of the National Transport Safety Board Act will be the step towards safer journeys for all Filipinos. Panahon na po para sa ligtas na pag-biyahe para sa lahat. Maraming salamat po.

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