PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the conduct of assessment on the country’s transport system as he vowed to implement reforms that will better safeguard the lives of commuters and travelers.
In a video message, Marcos expressed sympathy to the families of those who died and were injured in the recent tragedies at the SCTEX toll plaza, which resulted in the killing of 10 individuals, and at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, which claimed two lives.
“We will make the changes that need to be made. We will demand accountability where it is due. And we will build a transport system that truly protects Filipino people,” he added.
In the SCTEX incident, the bus driver reportedly fell asleep while driving, causing him to plow through four other vehicles, which were then on full stop as they were waiting in line for tollgate payment.
Two of the involved vehicles were totally wrecked. Four of the fatalities were children who were on their way to a religious youth camp, while two were a couple who was survived by their two-year-old only son.
On Sunday, May 4, a sports-utility-vehicle suddenly accelerated after dropping off a passenger at the departure area, hitting several individuals, including a four-year-old girl and a 28-year-old man who both died on the spot.
The girl was in the airport with her mother as they waved goodbye to her father who was supposedly about to leave the country to work abroad.
Marcos directed Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon to take immediate and decisive action in order to identify and hold accountable those responsible.
Dizon has already directed the Manila International Airport Authority and the private consortium San Miguel Corporation to look into the protective bollard installed in the lay-by area of the departure bay which is supposed to prevent such an incident.
In a press conference on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said the bollards were installed in 2019 under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Castro said Marcos directed the immediate replacement of the bollards to prevent similar incidents.
Among the reforms are thorough review of the driver licensing system to ensure that only fit, capable, and responsible individuals are allowed on the roads, and a nationwide audit of bus operators to ensure compliance with safety and maintenance standards.
Marcos also directed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to crack down on unsafe and exploitative practices in the transport sector that result in driver fatigue and long hours to meet quotas that compromise public safety.
“We owe it to the victims and their families to act -- not only with sympathy, but with resolve. These lives must not be lost in vain,” he said. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)