SENATOR Ramon Revilla, Jr. on Monday demanded that Maynilad and its contractors be penalized over a huge hole in the middle of Sales Road in Pasay City which he said poses dangers to the public especially to motorists.
Revilla, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Works, also said residential properties and buildings in the area might also be adversely affected if the sinkhole was not covered immediately.
The sinkhole, he said, was just beside the foundation of an elevated portion of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway (NAIAX).
“It’s possible effects are scary,” Revilla said.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the “sinkhole” was caused by a leak from a water pipeline of Maynilad Water Services, Inc.
The opening of the hole measured 2 x 3 meters, but the hollow space inside is much wider. It also goes down as deep as 8 to10 feet.
Revilla said the water concessionaire should be held accountable so that they will become more responsible with the impacts of their service.
“It should not be allowed that they will just repair them and then, that’s it. That’s not accountability. Somebody should be held accountable in order to serve as way for the service providers to be proactive in their projects,” he said.
Revilla also said service providers should not just be reactive to problems in their areas of responsibility.
According to Revilla, on several occasions, they have received reports of busted pipes which sometimes caused street flooding.
“Even before a leak, this should be checked,” Revilla said, adding that the inspection and maintenance should be continuous.
As of the morning of Apr. 15, the DPWH said that they were already prepared filling the hole and repairing the damage.