Robin Padilla says trip via NLEX to San Simon took 7 hours, Lito Lapid misses impeachment trial

Senators were among those who experienced the horrendous traffic jam on both lanes of the North Luzon Expressway caused by flooding in the San Simon area.

According to Mark Salazar's report on "24 Oras," Sen. Robin Padilla told the Senate plenary about his seven-hour trip from his home to San Simon in Pampanga.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, on the other hand, narrated how Sen. Lito Lapid missed the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte because of the congestion on the expressway.

Padilla shared the long hours they spent queuing on NLEX and presented a video documenting his ordeal from Monday.

“Umalis po kami ng 4:30 ng umaga galing po sa aming bat cave, sa tahanan… Nakalabas po kami ng San Simon 11:30 na ng tanghali. Pitong oras po… sa San Simon lang po 'yon, hindi pa kami nakarating ng Pangasinan,“ Padilla shared.

(We left at 4:30 in the morning from our home… We only managed to exit San Simon at 11:30 in the morning. That was seven hours… just in San Simon alone, and we hadn’t even reached Pangasinan yet.)

“Hindi din po passable doon, 95% ng mga lugar ng San Simon ay lubog. Pagbalik po namin ng NLEX, iniisip namin baka bumaba na ‘yung tubig. Makikita niyo po sa video mas tumaas pa 'yung tubig,” he added.

(It was impassable there; 95% of San Simon was submerged. When we returned to NLEX, we thought the water might have receded. But as you can see in the video, the floodwaters rose even higher.)

Padilla called the experience on the expressway unfair, emphasizing that motorists pay tolls to use it.

“Nagbayad ka naman. [Sana] una na lang sinabi na nila na hindi ganon ang mararanasan namin dahil expressway nga eh. Pero ganon pa man po, wala din naman talagang dadaanan dahil doon po sa McArthur Highway ay lubog din,” Padilla said.

(You paid for it. They should have warned us that this is what we would experience on an expressway. But even then, there was really no alternative route because MacArthur Highway was also submerged.)

Villanueva said Lapid's ordeal at the San Simon segment of NLEX prevented him from attending the earlier impeachment trial.

“Reports showed the traffic stretching as far as 10 km, Mr. President, 10 kilometro po. Some motorists reported spending up to 22 hours,” Villanueva said.

“Gusto natin malaman, Mr. President, at itanong sa NLEX Corporation, nabigyan ba agad ng tulong ang ating mga kababayan nating na-stranded? May tubig po ba, may pagkain [o] portalets at medical assistance po ba?” he added.

(We want to know, Mr. President, and ask NLEX Corporation: Was immediate assistance provided to our stranded motorists? Was there water, food, portable toilets, or medical assistance?)

Villanueva similarly pointed out the toll motorists pay to traverse NLEX, urging expressway management to consider waiving fees or offering refunds to those trapped in the traffic.

“Ang NLEX po, hindi libre ang pagpasok ho diyan. Dapat ikonsidera ng NLEX management ang pag-waive o pag-refund ng toll fees para sa mga motoristang matinding naapektuhan. Nagbabayad ka ng toll, naiipit ka pa sa baha,” the senator said.

(Entering NLEX is not free, so NLEX management should consider waiving or refunding toll fees for severely affected motorists. You pay a toll, only to get trapped in a flood.)

He also stressed that traffic advisories regarding conditions on NLEX must be issued promptly, and that sufficient personnel should be deployed to assist stranded motorists.

The senators’ discussion of the NLEX traffic ordeal led to broader concerns regarding anomalous flood mitigation projects across the country, as well as the status of a previously proposed flood control master plan.

Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III noted that a comprehensive master plan had been developed under the leadership of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio "Babes" Singson.

“Secretary Babes Singson of the Department of Public Works created and formulated a flood control [plan] from north to south. They started the study sometime in 2011, and by 2015 it… became a master plan and they were about to execute,” Sotto said.

“Unfortunately, there were elections in 2016 and the program, I believe, was sidelined,” he added.

Padilla questioned which agency would be entrusted to craft such a master plan moving forward.

“Napakaganda po ng mungkahi ng ating idolo rin, dati pong Senate President Vicente Sotto. ‘Yun pong masterplan, ang tanong ko lang po, sino po bang gagawa na naman niyan? DPWH po ba ang gagawa? Medyo di po ba tayo napapaso na ba?” Padilla said.

(The suggestion of former Senate President Vicente Sotto is very good. My only question regarding that master plan is: who will draft it this time? Will it be the DPWH again? Haven't we been burned enough?)

For her part, Senator Risa Hontiveros brought up the proposed mega-dike project that local government units in Pampanga have long been requesting.

“Fino-follow up ng mga barangay captain noon mula sa Pampanga ay ‘yun daw meg adike na matagal nang ipinapanukala, panahon pa yata ni dating Pangulong Macapagal Arroyo. Ano na po ba ang nangyari doon?” Hontiveros said.

(What the barangay captains from Pampanga were following up on back then was the mega-dike project that has been proposed for a long time, back during the administration of former President Macapagal-Arroyo. What ever happened to that?) –Jean Mangaluz/NB, GMA News