Philippines
National
Meeting, ocular inspection of 'blocked' road in NBP cancelled due to ECQ
Meeting, ocular inspection of 'blocked' road in NBP cancelled due to ECQ
A meeting and ocular inspection by government agencies to thresh out complaints against a “blocked road” within the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City were cancelled on Monday, March 29, due to the enforcement of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
(Ali Vicoy / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said the cancelled meeting and inspection were set last week by the Department of Justice (DOJ) with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the National Housing Authority (NHA).
But Guevarra said the meeting and physical inspection of the road would be re-scheduled. “We were supposed to do an ocular but it’s quite risky,” he said.
The “blocked road,” known as the Insular Prison Road, from the Southville 3 of the NHA leading to the NBP compound has caused an uproar among residents and motorists.
Even Muntinlupa City Rep. Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” B. Biazon has registered his objection to the closure of the road in a letter to Guevarra last March 22.
Among other things, Biazon told Guevarra that “… this unilateral action taken by the Bureau of Corrections was done without proper coordination and consultation with my office, the City Government of Muntinlupa and the people who will be primarily affected by such closure.”
Biazon also said “the closure of the road, most especially at this time of a pandemic, is very inconsiderate of the plight of our constituents in Muntinlupa City.”
Last March 21, BuCor justified its decision to close or limit the public use of the road which was done to protect the maximum security prison inside the NBP.
BuCor Deputy Director Gabriel P. Chaclag said the bureau does not consider it as blocking. What BuCor implemented is the “closing of vehicular traffic from NHA South Ville 3 passing through Maximum Security Compound,” he said.
“There is another big highway within the NBP land that NHA Southville 3 can use as alternate route,” he pointed out.
He lamented that motorists have been accustomed to using the closed road for almost 15 years as a shortcut.
“Dapat na po nating ituwid ito. Hindi po maayos ang bayan natin kung walang disiplina (We have to correct this. Our country will not be in order without discipline),” he said.