Senator Villanueva urges NLEX to refund tolls after severe flooding and gridlock

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva has called on North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) management to waive or refund toll fees for motorists stranded for up to 22 hours due to severe flooding along the expressway.

In a privilege speech on Tuesday, Villanueva highlighted how the massive gridlock in San Simon, Pampanga, disrupted thousands of commuters and even delayed lawmakers traveling to Manila.

Among those affected was Sen. Lito Lapid, a Pampanga native who spent the previous day leading local relief operations. Lapid’s office confirmed he left the province at 4:00 a.m. but arrived at the Senate around 4:00 p.m.—an hour late for session—after spending 12 hours stuck on the highway. Sen. Robin Padilla was similarly caught in the NLEX traffic on Monday while heading to the capital.

Villanueva stressed that the prolonged gridlock is a critical safety and welfare issue, questioning NLEX Corporation's response to the crisis.

“Naniniwala rin tayo na dapat ikonsidera ng NLEX management ang pag-waive o pag-refund ng toll fees para sa mga motoristang matinding naapektuhan ng prolonged closure. Nagbayad ka na ng toll, naipit ka pa sa baha. Hindi po iyon ang serbisyong binayaran ng ating mga kababayan,” Villanueva said.

(“We believe NLEX management should consider waiving or refunding toll fees for motorists severely affected by the prolonged closure. You paid a toll, yet you were trapped in a flood. That is not the service our countrymen paid for.”)

He also questioned whether NLEX provided basic emergency assistance—such as drinking water, food, portable toilets, and medical aid—to motorists trapped on the road for nearly a day.

Addressing the root cause, Villanueva noted that expressway flooding in Pampanga remains an unresolved, recurring issue.

Following similar inundation in 2023, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and NLEX raised a portion of the highway in the Tulaoc area by 0.7 meters. However, Villanueva argued that band-aid measures are no longer sufficient.

“Hindi po puwedeng pump out ngayon, baha ulit bukas, tapos pump out na naman. That is emergency response, not a permanent solution,” he stressed.

Villanueva further criticized NLEX management for inadequate traffic advisories and poor signage during rerouting operations toward the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

He pointed out that many stranded drivers were forced to rely on navigation apps that failed to update in real time, inadvertently directing motorists straight into flooded zones.

-Paraluman News