A personnel from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority inspects a sinkhole that forms in the middle of Sales Road near the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Sunday afternoon, April 14, 2024. Photo from the MMDA
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. wants Maynilad Water Services Inc. and its contractors penalized over the huge hole found along Sales Road near the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
The Metro Manila Development Authority reported about the sinkhole on Sunday.
“Dapat mapanagot ang Maynilad at ang mga contractors nila dito!” Revilla, chairman of the Senate committee on public works, said in a statement on Monday.
(Maynilad and their contractors should be held accountable for this!)
The senator cited the Department of Public Works and Highways’s report that the sinkhole was allegedly caused by a leak from the water pipeline of Maynilad Water Services, Inc.
“This poses great danger lalo na sa mga motorista, at kung di agad nakita at napabayaan, baka pati sa mga residential properties at buildings sa area,” Revilla said.
(This poses great danger, especially to motorists, and if not immediately noticed and neglected, it could also affect residential properties and buildings in the area.)
“Kung makikita niyo nga yung butas, malapit na siya sa pundasyon ng NAIAX elevated highway. Nakakatakot ang posibleng epekto nito kung sakali,” he added.
(If you see the hole, it’s close to the foundation of the NAIAX elevated highway. The possible effect of this is frightening if ever.)
According to Revilla, Maynilad should be held accountable “so that they will become more responsible with the impacts of their service.”
“Hindi pwedeng hayaan lang na ire-repair tapos wala na. Hindi ‘yon accountability,” he said.
(We can’t just allow it to be repaired and forget about it. That’s not accountability.)
“Dapat may managot para magsilbing daan ito para mas maging proactive ang mga service providers sa mga projects nila, hindi lang basta reactive kapag may problema na,” the senator also said.
(There should be someone held accountable so that service providers become more proactive in their projects, not just reactive when problems arise.)
Maynilad explained what probably caused the sinkhole.
“The sinkhole was likely formed because the soil got drenched from the water spilling out of a pipe leak,” Maynilad’s communications head Jennifer Rufo said in another statement.
“We conducted leak detection yesterday and found that the leak was coming from a secondary pipeline (200mm diameter) along Sales Road corner Gozar St., Pasay,” she said.
Rufo said the water concessionaire is currently investigating what or who caused the damage to the pipe that was “fairly new.”
“The pipe is fairly new, and it sustained an external hit likely from third parties,” she said.
She said their field personnel, nevertheless, completed repairs of the road around 1 a.m. on Monday.