Unsurprisingly, the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping brought with it road closures and angry commuters who got trapped in the monstrous traffic jams.
Some of these commuters voiced out their sentiments on social media, complaining that no advisories were given about the road closures and re-routings.
In photos posted on Facebook on Tuesday by Rex Varona, vehicles heading to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) got caught in a bumper-to-bumper situation on the Skyway.
“Kilometric line of cars stuck at the Skyway on way to NAIA because the expressway was unceremoniously locked down ‘so that the Chinese President Xi can pass,’” Varona wrote on his Facebook post.
Varona insisted that there no advisories were released as to the closure of the Skyway, adding that no one knew how long it would remain impassable.
“Many passengers forced to walk, luggage and all, along the Skyway hoping to catch their flights. Sacrifice the welfare of thousands, for the convenience of one,” he said.
Some netizens, however, insisted that there were announcements on the road closures days before the arrival of President Xi, citing several news reports.
Others meanwhile justified the absence of advisories to ensure the security of the visiting Chinese head of state.
READ: Road rerouting in BGC, Taguig areas for Xi visit — MMDA
Varona’s post went viral, reaping over 13,800 reactions and 7,300 shares.
Heavy traffic was also experienced around the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) area where the hotel Xi’s hotel is located.
Photos from Mike Frialde of INQUIRER.net showed the long line of vehicles on Lawton Avenue and on 5th Avenue leading to the BGC area early Tuesday morning.
Xi arrived in Manila on Tuesday for his two-day visit, which is his first trip to the Philippines under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. /muf