Two days since the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) yard using a concrete wall on the access road from the NHA Southville 3 housing project in Poblacion, Muntinlupa to barangay proper, the affected residents are struggling to get to work and get necessities.
But BuCor defended the closure of the road that it had allegedly planned for a long time.
Whatever the request of 63-year-old Teresita Dela Paz, BuCor guards did not allow her to walk the access road to get to town on Monday morning.
She said that her maintenance medicine had run out and she still had to pick the money at the city hall to buy it.
“Kahit ako maglakad, maglalakad ako, basta makadaan ako,” said Dela Paz.
“Di naman kami dito mabubuhay sa ganito. Wala akong kasama, paano ang [pagbili] ko sa gamot?”
Eventually, she rode with the barangay to get to town.
On Saturday, a concrete wall was built on the access road, much to the surprise of Barangay Poblacion.
BuCor defends Bilibid access road wall
According to a letter they received from BuCor on Friday, they were told it would only be temporarily closed along with other routes as a precaution against COVID-19 and a security issue.
But no date has been given for how long the closure will last.
In a statement sent to ABS-CBN News, BuCor spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag said that they are not blocking the road but are closing it in accordance with their plan for it.
“We do not prevent residents of NHA Southville 3 from accessing city proper… Matagal po plano ito at dapat lang, kasi po kailangan secured ang maximum security prison natin.”
According to Chaclag, an alternative route has been opened on the NBP land, Biazon Road, in exchange for the closed road.
He said the residents there just need to be trained to travel like they have been using the access road for almost 15 years.
“Konting sakripisyo lamang naman po [na] dagdagan ng 1.5 km lang ang kanilang travel distance [kaysa] sa dating shortcut. Ito rin ay pagbibigay ng dignity sa mga residents na hindi sila habang buhay na nakikidaan lamang sa loob ng BuCor,” he said.