The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will issue notice of violations against two private contractors of a telecommunication company due to unfinished road works along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) during the Holy Week.
MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes said Globe Telecom’s private contractors HGC Global Communications and RLink Corporation, which are working on the underground installation of fiber optic cable along the southbound portion of EDSA, failed to comply with the agency’s condition that road works should have been finished, cleared, and passable to all motorists by 5 a.m. of April 1.
To recall, the MMDA allowed government and private construction projects to conduct round-the-clock road diggings and repairs from 11pm of Wednesday, March 27, until 5am of Monday, April 1.
“The public mistakenly thought that those were MMDA and DPWH projects because they used the traffic cones and barriers of the agency.”
“Out of 40 manholes, 24 were left uncovered. No traffic marshals were seen on the road to at least man the traffic. As a result, the public mistakenly thought that those were MMDA and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects because they used the traffic cones and barriers of the agency,” Artes explained, in a press conference.
“We will issue a notice of violation against them due to the traffic build-up brought about by their failure to finish on time.”
“HGC Global Communications and RLink Corporation have explained that they had a problem with logistics. The delivery of cement was delayed. However, their reason is unacceptable and unjustifiable. We will issue a notice of violation against them due to the traffic build-up brought about by their failure to finish on time,” the MMDA chief added.
The two firms will be slapped with a P50,000 fine per diggings, per day. The imposition of stiffer penalties is based on MMDA Regulation No. 23-001, series of 2023.
He added that the MMDA and DPWH have decided to pour cement on open diggings so that the roads will be passable.
Moreover, the MMDA is studying the possibility of banning the two private contractors of Globe Telecom from applying for excavation permits.
Artes, meanwhile, commended the DPWH for finishing the road works on time during Holy Week.
“I would like to commend DPWH for the completion of road works on major thoroughfares. This is beneficial to the commuting public,” he concluded.
