Marcos orders probe into faulty NAIA Terminal 1 bollards

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an immediate investigation into the installation, procurement, and design of bollards at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 following a tragic incident on Sunday that killed two people.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed during a press briefing on Tuesday that the bollards, installed in July 2019 under former Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade's administration, failed to stop an SUV that rammed into people outside Terminal 1.

The President instructed Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon to investigate the procurement process and assess whether safety standards were met during installation, directing him to inspect all airport bollards and swiftly replace any defective ones.

Castro added that a separate investigation is focusing on the design and construction of the bollards, as ordered by the President.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon noted after visiting the scene on Sunday that the barriers appeared not very sturdy, prompting a closer look into their effectiveness.

The New NAIA Infra Corp (NNIC) announced it will be switching to a parallel passenger drop-off system at Terminals 1 and 2 to prevent further crashes.