MOTORISTS and commuters in Metro Manila suffered heavy traffic on Wednesday after authorities closed portions of EDSA to give way to the celebration of the 29th anniversary of the People Power revolt.
Angry motorists blamed the Metro Manila Development Authority for closing the roads at the EDSA-Shaw and Santolan intersections and creating huge traffic snarls.
“It would be better if the government declared a non-working holiday, so we don’t have to go out and report for work. But what happened to this? Why did they declare a working holiday and then close EDSA?” said Oneill Carlo Alfonso, an exasperated resident of Parañaque City.
Crisanto Saruca, chief of the MMDA’s Traffic Discipline Office, said heavy traffic was experienced along the northbound lane of EDSA from Orense to Shaw Boulevard.
The MMDA deployed three trucks to ferry passengers affected by the road closure during the rush hours.
Saruca said more than 2,000 passengers were accommodated by the trucks which went from the EDSA Shrine to Cubao.
“We started 11 p.m. Tuesday and ended at 10 a.m. Wednesday because we had to attend other activities,” Saruca said.
The MMDA advised the public a day before to avoid EDSA and to take alternate routes.
The road closures lasted from 12 a.m. to 4 p.m. and affected stretches of EDSA and perpendicular roads.
The MMDA earlier said it would deploy 1,104 men to oversee the traffic and guide motorists traversing the alternate routes.
President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay led this year’s celebration.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle celebrated a Mass after the wreath-laying ceremony at the People Power Monument. With PNA
Some 600 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (P)NP) marched together to show their unity and continued solidarity in serving the Filipino people.
This event was called as the “Unity Walk,” AFP Civil Relations Service commander Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala said.
“This shows that the AFP and PNP are united, cohesive, and focused in our respective missions to protect the people and secure the sovereignty of the state,” he added.
The march was staged after police and military officials bickered over who was at fault or the death of 44 police commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Protests also marked the EDSA anniversary with groups holding an interfaith prayer and human chain at Camp Crame along EDSA before marching to the EDSA Shrine to close their program.
“The nation is at a crossroads. Whether to simply accept a lying, inept and puppet President or to continue the great tradition of People Power for genuine change. We choose the latter. We choose to fight for truth and accountability and meaningful change. Thus, Aquino must go,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.
“The past month has seen the President repeat one lie after another in order to escape accountability in the Mamasapano debacle. Aquino merely shuffles the blame between SAF Director [Getulio] Napenas to suspended PNP Chief Purisima. Aquino takes none for himself. He has no regrets authorizing a suspended general to run the operation,” Reyes added.
Bayan said that Aquino’s biggest sin to date is authorizing a suspended PNP chief to run a sensitive operation via remote control while disregarding all necessary government coordination. “The problem is not that Purisima lied to Aquino. The problem was Aquino placing a suspended official in charge and relying on that official instead of the proper government officials and agencies. The problem was the President all along. Now he lies to us repeatedly to cover-up his role,” Reyes said.
Bayan said that Aquino cannot continue invoking the memory of his parents and the anti-dictatorship struggle just to shield himself from any accountability.
“EDSA was also about holding those in power accountable. Aquino cannot make himself an exception in the quest for truth and accountability,” Reyes added.
“EDSA is not about one color (yellow) nor the plight of one family. It is about the people rising up for change,” he added. – With PNA