President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to investigate the procurement and installation of the safety bollards at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after the crash that killed two people, and hold accountable those responsible.
Several people pointed out that the bollards failed to prevent the accident from occurring and proceeded to ram into the people in front of the terminal.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that the bollards were placed there in 2019, under the supervision of former Transportation Secretary Art. Tugade.
“Nakakalungkot na may mga nasawi dahil sa diumanong depektibo na bollards na nainstall sa NAIA Terminal 1. At ito po ay nainstall sa panahon ng dating administrasyon, sa panahon ni Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade,” Castro said.
“Pinaiimbestigahan na po papaano ang naging procurement pati ang implications. Yun po ay sa pag-uutos ng Pangulo at ito po ay tutugunan agad-agad ni Secretary Vince Dizon. At pati po ang pag-inspect sa mga bollards at ang mabilisang pagpapalit nito para sa safety po ng nakakarami.”
Earlier, Marcos directed a “crackdown on unsafe and exploitative practices in the transport sector” following his expression of grief over the deaths of several Filipinos in recent road accidents.
He further ordered transportation agencies to conduct a “nationwide audit of bus operators, with clear sanctions for those who fail to comply with safety and maintenance standards.”
