Statement of Malacañang on NAIA Terminal 1 Bollards Issue Following Unfortunate Incident
MALACAÑANG – The Palace stressed that the bollards at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 were installed during the previous administration.
The unfortunate incident at the NAIA Terminal 1 last May 4 saddened countless people. A 4-year-old girl and a 28-year-old male lost their lives after a vehicle from the parking lot rammed the people at the entrance of the airport’s Departure Area. The Masongsong family was one of those affected by the accident.
Malia Masongsong joined her mother and two (2) more family members in dropping of her father at the airport. He’s an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) and was set to return abroad after a three-month vacation which was the longest time he had spent with his daughter. However, the accident left him losing his beloved Malia.
Aside from the two (2) casualties from the NAIA Terminal 1 accident, there were several individuals left injured. The mother of Malia, Cynthia, and her grandmother were among those who were left injured by the accident. The bollard at NAIA was blamed for the deadly crash after it failed to stop the vehicle from ramming the people.
Instead of stopping the vehicle, the bollard gave in to the strength of the accelerated car and was removed from the ground. Recently, Malacañang spoke on the issue assuring that Pres. Bongbong Marcos ordered a probe on the NAIA Terminal 1 bollards following the deadly incident.
Malacañang Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro stressed that the bollards at the NAIA Terminal 1 were installed during the stint of the previous administration. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, then, the Department of Transportation was led by 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.
The Malacañang Press Officer stressed that the investigation on how the bollards were procured and their implications are probed. Based on the report, Atty. Castro assured that Marcos Jr. also ordered the immediate replacement of the said bollards at the airport.
“Pinaiimbestigahan na po papaano ang naging procurement pati ang implications… At pati po ang pag-inspect sa mga bollards at ang mabilisang pagpapalit nito para sa safety po ng nakakarami,” the press officer of Malacañang said.
Recently, Pres. Bongbong Marcos issued a statement on the NAIA and SCTEX Toll Plaza accidents. He vowed that the government will ensure that it will never happen again.