MANILA - The Senate has yet to approve the bill granting President Rodrigo Duterte special powers to address the country's traffic problem and will not be able to do so before it goes into recess, but the Committee chairperson believes it may happen in May.

Senator Grace Poe told radio DZMM her colleagues are still keen on questioning the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies about the provisions in the proposal.

"Ikinalulungkot ko na hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin tapos ang deliberasyon dito sapagkat marami rin sa ating mga kasamahan, gustong magtanong para sa anong mga probisyon nito," she said.

(I am saddened that until today, we are not finished with the deliberations because a lot of my colleagues still want to question the provisions of the measure.)

This, she said, despite her speeches pointing out that the delay in passing the bill "goes precisely against its principle na (that it is an) emergency."

"I’m hoping na May, magawa natin pero pinapaalala ko rin naman sa iba’t ibang sangay ng gobyerno na naka-sentro sa paglutas ng traffic na hindi naman kailangang hintayin ito para magkaroon ng agarang solusyon sa ibang problema natin," she said.

(I'm hoping that we would be able to do it by May, but I am also reminding the different branches of government tasked to solve the traffic mess that they do not have to wait for this bill to be able to provide immediate solutions to the problem.)

Poe's committee last year recommended the granting of emergency powers to Duterte.

In the lower house, the Transportation Committee has already approved the proposal.