NGO: TRB too pro-rich

A non-government organization assailed the Toll Regulatory Board yesterday for being anti-poor, citing the South Expressway’s Halang tollgates in Biñan, Laguna as built only to serve Southwoods Golf and Country Club, an enclave of the rich and mighty.

Ray Junia, chair of the United for the Restoration of Law and Justice, (URLJ), said the Halang Interchange is connected by an elevated road to Southwoods while the existing road, accessing the tollgates from the lower class subdivisions in San Pedro and Biñan was demolished.

"The act of demolishing the existing road was very cruel, like telling us not to use the tollgates," Junia said, adding, "we have now the impression that the Halang tollgates are for the exclusive use of Southwoods."

According to Junia, tollgates are for public use even when private funds are used for its development. "In the case of the Halang tollgates, the government has been silent on the maneuver by private enterprise to make the interchange exclusive for their use by making it inaccessible to other users," he pointed out.

He accused the TRB of not lifting a finger to protect the interest of the other users of the tollgate, adding, "we can not think of any reason why TRB allowed the tollgates to be inaccessible to public use."

Meanwhile, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon lamented President Arroyo’s lack of response to his request to expand the suspension of the South Luzon Tollway rate increase to include the Metro Manila Skyway project.

"There was no response from her so the next round of increases this July would definitely push through," Biazon told reporters Tuesday. – Nikko Dizon