CARIGARA, Leyte — The 2nd Leyte Engineering District (2nd LED) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) here intends to pursue its intensified drive against violators of the Road-Right-Of-Way (RROW) in municipalities along the national highway where Leyte’s Second District is located.

Engineer Margarita C. Junia, 2nd LED District Engineer said she has warned RROW violators to stop encroaching on the national highway in the province’s second district of Leyte once signages warning against encroachment on RROW limits along the national highways have been installed.

Junia said she had conducted a dialogue with local officials and residents of Barangay Lemon, in Leyte’s Capoocan town, granting their request that they be given time to demolish their houses after their barangay fiesta this month as they are currently preoccupied with preparations for their annual town fiesta celebration.

She said had residents’ refusal to heed the DPWH’s call not to encroach the RROW limits along the highway would mean they would be hailed to court.

The DPWH district engineer said she has already initiated the filing of over 2,000 criminal charges against violators of the Philippine Highway Act in the Regional Trial Court.

Junia explained that the DPWH in the province is intensifying its drive against RROW violators in consonance with instructions given by DPWH Secretary Rogelio J. Singson and DPWH Regional Director Rolando M. Asis to clear the national highways of encroachers and make it safe for travel.

She also warned residents of MacArthur town along the national highway that criminal charges would be filed against them if they ignore the agency’s notices to vacate the area where they are staying within the RROW limit as it is illegal to continue being where they are as the area is part of the national road.

Junia said 15 meters from the center line of the highway still forms part of the national road.

Junia said she issued warning that the DPWH in Leyte will use the full force of the law in MacArthur town after some town residents threatened agency officials, name-dropping in the process the names of some lawyers in Leyte who will come to their aid should the agency file criminal charges against them.