THE barangay captain of Maribago in Lapu-Lapu City clarified that the motorcycle incident that happened on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021 was not caused by a lack of barriers and early warning devices around an ongoing drainage project.
In an interview with Sunstar Cebu, Barangay Captain Rosalino Abing said the motorcycle rider was trying to evade a head-on collision with another vehicle that was about to enter his lane, causing him to fall into a hole that was excavated to be built as part of the drainage system.
Abing added that members of the Maribago Emergency Response Team (ERT) quickly responded to the scene and were able to bring the victim to the nearest hospital.
Initial reports on social media said the lack of barriers and early warning devices has caused multiple accidents on the roads of Lapu-Lapu City since the project started.
FB post
A Facebook user who goes by the name Frankie Ocaña posted a vehicular accident that took place on Nov. 24 with a caption saying many accidents occurred because of the drainage project. The post was then shared by Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan.
“I pity our motorists whose lives are being put at risk,” Chan wrote on his Facebook post.
Chan has repeatedly called the attention of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the contractor of the project to install barriers and early warning devices to prevent accidents from happening.
On deploying tanods to guard the drainage project site, Abing said the barangay cannot do so since they have an insufficient staff relative to the size of their village and that it should be the obligation of the City Traffic Management System Office.
Abing urged motorists to slow down when approaching the DPWH project sites in Lapu-Lapu City, especially when they see caution signs.
Asked about the progress of the construction of the drainage, Abing said the ongoing building of drainage is faster compared to previous projects.
The drainage rehabilitation is part of the P46 million worth of projects lobbied by Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Paz Radaza to the DPWH to solve flooding problems in the city.