Mar Roxas, 8 PNoy Cabinet Men Face Plunder Complaint Over P3.8 Billion MRT Mess
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) under the
administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has filed a plunder complaint
against at least nine former secretaries of the Aquino Cabinet, including then
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and then Local Government Secretary
Manuel Roxas II, over the allegedly shady P3.8 billion contract for the Metro
Rail Transit (MRT)-Line 3.
The Transportation department lodged Tuesday, November 21,
the complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Aside from Abaya and Roxas, other respondents are former Budget
Secretary Florencio Abad, former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, former
Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, former Science and Technology Secretary Mario
Montejo, former Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, former Public Works Secretary
Rogelio Singson, and former National Economic and Development Authority Director
General Arsenio Balisacan.
Also facing charges are former Transport Undersecretaries
Edwin Lopez, Rene Limcaoco and Catherine Gonzales, and former MRT-3 General Manager
Roman Buenafe.
Former members of the Transportation department’s Bids and
Awards Committee and officials of Busan Universal Railways Inc. (BURI) were
also named respondents.
The now-defunct Department of Transportation and
Communications headed by Abaya had awarded the allegedly anomalous three-year
contract to BURI for the maintenance operations of the MRT-3.
The DOTr on November 6 revoked the maintenance contract with
BURI.
In a press conference, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque
assured the public that the government would go after the people liable for the
deteriorating state of the MRT.
Roque added that the executive department was optimistic
that the anti-graft body would expedite the resolution of the case.
“We must stress the great suffering of the riding public as
the result of the failure to deliver on the responsibilities of public office
such as the case of the current state of the MRT-3 system (that) carries
consequences, and that those accountable will be held liable,” Roque said.
“We are expecting that now that there’s a formal complaint,
the process will be speedy. Now that the Office of the Ombudsman acknowledges
the predicaments of the public because of MRT woes, we are looking forward that
they would give priority on investigating the issue,” he added.
With the leadership of incumbent Transportation Secretary
Arthur Tugade, Roque said MRT passengers can expect improved services.
Roque, however, said the government does not want to impose
a deadline in addressing the frequent technical glitches and capacity issues of
MRT-3.
“On the positive steps taken to improve MRT-3, Secretary
Tugade assured me, number one, that they are going to procure a reliable
maintenance contractor. Number two, they’re building new rails. They’re buying
new train cars and new signalling system. They are, in other words, revamping
almost completely the MRT,” he said.
“It’s very difficult to set a deadline. I think Secretary
Tugade knows that we’re looking up to him for a solution. I’m sure that
Secretary Tugade is taking all the necessary steps,” Roque added.
Watch the video below via RTVM:
Source: SunStar Philippines
Mar Roxas, 8 PNoy Cabinet Men Face Plunder Complaint Over P3.8 Billion MRT Mess
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November 21, 2017
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