Thursday, May 08, 2008 Clark-Tarlac stretch still closed
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Motorists' safety and consideration to farmers of Tarlac made the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to defer opening the Clark-Tarlac portion of Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) until construction of overpasses within the stretch is complete.
BCDA spokesperson Robert Gervacio said the Clark-Tarlac segment of SCTEx remains closed to commercial traffic as of Wednesday afternoon pending the completion of eight pedestrian overpasses that will serve as farm crossings for farmers and residents along areas traversed by SCTEX in Concepcion, Tarlac.
The overpasses, he said, are part of our development commitments to the people of Concepcion. "We intend to keep our word that we would complete all of them before the Clark-Tarlac segment is opened to commercial traffic," said the BCDA official.
Gervacio stressed that the BCDA prefers losing income due to non-operation of the stretch rather than endangering lives of motorists and causing adverse effects on the livelihood of farmers, whose way leading to their farmlands got blocked by the 94-kilometer long SCTEx.
"We want to assure our farmers that their sources of livelihood will not be unduly affected by SCTEX," Gervacio added.
He said the BCDA announced the non-opening of the Clark-Tarlac segment in major newspapers and radio programs last week contrary to allegations by some quarters that the public was not informed of the decision.
He said that as of April 30, four of the eight overpasses that the BCDA committed to build in Concepcion have been finished, while the rest are being speeded up.
BCDA chief legal counsel Arnel Casanova, meanwhile, said he personally relayed BCDA's commitment to speed up the completion of the overpasses to the legal representatives of Concepcion at the Regional Trial Court in Capas, Tarlac last Tuesday.
During the hearing before the sala of Judge Alipio Yumul of Capas RTC Branch 66 regarding Concepcion's plea for a preliminary injunction against the commercial opening of SCTEX, Casanova said he invoked Republic Act (RA) 8975 that prohibits the issuance of temporary restraining orders against government infrastructure projects.
He also said the allegations that the commercial operation of SCTEX will result in irreparable damage to the farmers of Concepcion has no basis since the BCDA has unilaterally decided not to open the Clark-Tarlac segment beforehand.
"The BCDA is committed to pursue its partnership with the people of Concepcion. In fact, even before they filed the case, we are already in the process of completing the overpasses that will serve as farm crossings," Casanova said. (ABL/RGN)
