MRT passengers held hostage by court case, says DOTC

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) yesterday slammed efforts to derail the Aquino administration’s major infrastructure projects including the acquisition of 48 brand new trains for the congested Metro Rail Transit line 3 (MRT3).

Michael Arthur Sagcal, DOTC spokesperson, said the delay in the P3.8 billion MRT3 capacity expansion project would affect the more than 500,000 passengers using the country’s major mass rail transit system.

“We will fight for the interest of the hundreds of thousands of MRT-3 riders who have been waiting for more LRVs for too long.  At the time when government is finally ready to deliver these projects, the public good is now being held hostage by a private company,” Sagcal said.

The DOTC awarded the project to Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co.

Sagcal said the project would result in significant improvements in the railway’s services.

He pointed out the Office of the Solicitor General would represent the DOTC and stress the need for the project amid the issuance of the “Temporary Order of Protection.”

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya is set to meet with the government’s legal counsel to discuss the merits of the case filed before the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 66.

In a two page order, Makati City RTC Branch 66 granted the petition of Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC) and MRTC Limited (MRTCL) to issue a 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) on the implementation of the DOTC’s train expansion project.

 â€œWe will fight it out to protect the interest of hundreds of thousands of MRT riders,” DOTC Assistant Secretary Jaime Caringal told the House committee on transportation and communications yesterday.

He said he and other DOTC officials were scheduled to meet with lawyers of the Office of the Solicitor General to convince Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 66 to lift the TRO.

 â€œThe government has every right to undertake the procurement (of additional coaches) to ease the suffering of the more than 500,000 commuters who use the MRT line daily,” he said.