MANILA – The government is not considering sanctions against the management of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) for now over the prolonged stranding of motorists caused by flooding, as the immediate priority is to assist affected travelers, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the issue of possible sanctions was not discussed during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s meeting with concerned officials at Malacañang on Monday.
“Hindi napag-usapan kung anumang sanction. Ang nasa proposal po ng Pangulo ay paano po matutulungan iyong mga naipit nating mga kababayan sa NLEX (No sanctions were discussed. The President's proposal focuses on how to assist our fellow citizens who got stranded on NLEX),” Castro said.
Castro was asked whether Marcos would direct the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to impose sanctions on NLEX management following complaints that motorists were allowed to enter the expressway despite worsening traffic and flooding conditions.
Severe flooding along NLEX, particularly in the Tulaoc area in San Simon and near the San Simon Interchange in Pampanga, has caused hours-long traffic gridlocks.
The heavy congestion was triggered by the overflowing Pampanga River amid continuous monsoon rains.
Castro said Marcos is currently more concerned with easing the plight of motorists stranded along the major expressway amid severe flooding in Central Luzon.
“Hindi po sa ngayon ang pag-sanction ang inuuna ng Pangulo, kung hindi ang kaginhawaan ng ating mga motorista (Imposing sanctions is not the President's priority right now; rather, it is the welfare of our motorists),” Castro said.
Castro also acknowledged an earlier proposal by Marcos to use a portion of the Candaba Swamp in Pampanga as a water-impounding area to help mitigate flooding.
She said the proposal faced opposition over concerns that agricultural lands could be affected.
Castro said the government should examine the consequences of the earlier opposition to the project but stressed that the administration is not looking to assign blame.
“Wala po tayong sisisihin, dahil maaari naman pong magkaroon pa ng ibang proyekto na maiibsan naman po ang nangyayari sa mga kababayan natin dito sa Pampanga (We won't place the blame on anyone, as there could still be other projects to help alleviate the situation of our fellow citizens in Pampanga),” she said. (PNA)
