Dizon: Marcos believes making roads safe again true justice for victims
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon. Photo from Department of Transportation.
MANILA, Philippines — Aside from proper compensation and the filing of criminal and administrative charges, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. believes that victims of recent road accidents can only attain true justice if streets are made safe again, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said on Monday.
Dizon in a press briefing at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) office in San Juan City said that he met with Marcos last Saturday, and the Chief Executive instructed him to address issues involving road safety systems.
According to Dizon, Marcos himself acknowledged that the government must do something to address concerns of people who are now afraid of plying streets due to fear that accidents may happen anytime.
“They (relatives of victims) gave the same sentiments…they are asking if we can give justice to their relatives who died, and just this Saturday, actually I was with the cabinet officials and our President, and the President really told me that we must give these families justice,” Dizon said in Filipino.
Doesn’t feel safe driving
“And the justice that they deserve is not just from the bus company, obviously they will have to compensate […] justice from the driver who will have to be responsible under our laws for the deaths that he caused […] But the president said that justice is not only about that. Justice is for all the Filipinos who are now afraid to move along the country’s streets.”
Dizon admitted that even he sometimes does not feel safe whether he is driving a car or doing weekend bicycle rides.
“Because now, people like you and me, all of us here, feel unsafe on our own roads. We don’t feel safe. I pass by SCTEx and NLEx everyday, when I see buses I am jolted because I fear that they may hit me from behind or by the side of my car,” he said.
“Our bikers, I myself bike every weekend, I am afraid that I might get side-swiped by buses, trucks, or motorcycles. People do not feel safe on our streets, that is the sad reality, and I have been directed by the President to act and to fix it,” he added.
Marcos , who just this April released a vlog reminding Filipinos to be disciplined drivers, is saddened by the recent accidents, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
“Yes, of course, the President is saddened by what happened, especially that there were loss of lives, some were injured too. These kinds of reports are not good to hear,” PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro said during the press briefing at Malacañang.
“And because of the President’s directive to give the bereaved families justice, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon acted quickly, and he warned companies and gave out immediate directives about a regular and mandatory drug test for public utility vehicle drivers effective immediately,” she added in Filipino.
Road safety systems
Earlier, Dizon admitted that the systems meant to ensure road safety are broken, adding that there have been lapses in the implementation of tests for driver’s license applications — with applicants being able to bribe examiners for clues during written exams, and practical tests being reduced to merely moving vehicles back and forth.
The commitments from Dizon and the government came after several road accidents placed a dent on people’s confidence about road safety. Last May 1, at least 10 died while over 30 were injured after the Solid North bus rammed into a van and a sports utility vehicle that were queuing at the northbound toll plaza of SCTEx’s Tarlac Exit.
READ: DOTr suspends bus firm’s operations after fatal SCTEX crash
Then on Sunday, a Ford Everest rammed into people queuing outside of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1, leading to the death of a five-year-old girl and another individual died after the incident.
READ: Girl, 5, one of two killed in Naia car accident
Then previously, three individuals were killed while 10 others were hurt after a crash involving six vehicles happened along Fortune Avenue in Marikina City.
According to reports, the incident happened last April 23 after a trailer truck lost control while traversing Fortune Avenue’s inclined slope, hitting a compact car, a sedan, a sport utility vehicle, and two passenger jeepneys.
Just before the Holy Week, two individuals died after a jeepney went wayward along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. At least 16 others were injured.
