Raps poised vs establishments defying Northrail right of way

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is readying cases for violations of Presidential Decree 296 against big commercial establishments and owners of other illegal structures encroaching into the flood control and irrigation system along the MacArthur Highway in Pampanga and Bulacan.

These structures were illegally constructed along the old railroad tracks of the Philippine National Railways and the irrigation system, which also served as a flood control system up to the early 1980s.

Regional DPWH director Ramon Aquino earlier said at least three big commercial establishments in Malolos City and several households in Bulacan and Pampanga continued to defy an order by Vice President Noli de Castro to voluntarily dismantle their structures to give way to the construction of the $503-million Northrail between Metro Manila and the Clark special economic zone.

These commercial establishments face criminal charges for violations of PD 296 for encroaching into waterways, which have served as an effective irrigation and flood control system.

Old folk in Bulacan recalled that Malolos City and other places in the province did not experience flooding even during continuous heavy rains when the flood control and irrigation system was still clear of illegal squatters.

Chinese Ambassador Li Jin Jun met recently with officials of the Clark Development Corp. and assured them that the Northrail project would "definitely" start next month.

The Chinese government is spending $421 million for the project, with the Philippine government contributing $82 million as counterpart fund mainly for the relocation of affected informal settlers.

The Supreme Court has junked a petition questioning the Northrail project.