Palace names OIC for LRTA

The Office of the President, through Executive Secretary Renato de Villa, appointed yesterday Enrico Garcia as officer-in-charge of the troubled Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).

Garcia, prior to the appointment, was manager for operations and engineering of the state-run transport agency. He replaces Antonio San Luis.

Industry analysts said the sudden appointment of Garcia as LRTA chief was triggered by the clamor of different sectors to bring positive change in the administration of the country’s light rail transport system.

Some LRTA employees, however, were far from satisfied with the choice.

"We doubt that Garcia is the man who can bring about positive changes in this graft-ridden agency," said one employee.

He said other contenders for the LRTA top post are still hopeful and are "just waiting in the wings."

Earlier, employees claimed several applicants had applied for the job with Malacañang’s search committee.

Some workers vehemently objected to the appointment by President Arroyo of either lawyer Moises Tolentino, former chief of the METRO Inc., or San Luis as the new LRTA chief, citing corruption and mismanagement in running the transport agency.

In an open letter to the President, former METRO Inc. employees and cause-oriented groups said: "It was during Tolentino’s term that the number of employees working for METRO ballooned to unreasonable proportions, causing the government hundreds of millions in unnecessary expenditures and wastage because of the patronage system prevalently practiced by management."

Tolentino denied the reports linking him to various anomalies at the LRTA.

"It was obviously a demolition job orchestrated by other parties interested in the position of LRTA administrator," he said.

His appointment as the new LRTA administrator was reportedly withheld by the President after allegations against him were published.
On the charges of hiring an unreasonable number of employees, Tolentino explained this was impossible since the budget department had imposed a freeze hiring order.

"All throughout my term, I was unable to hire more employees, except replacements for those who were dismissed or resigned. There was no new position created under my watch. Records can prove that," he said.

San Luis, for his part, said he "managed the agency well."

Prior to the appointment of Garcia, striking employees belonging to the PIGLAS-LRT Union had urged Mrs. Arroyo to oust San Luis as administrator.

Union president Manny Malunes said San Luis had been ineffective in administering the transport system, "being a rabid anti-worker stooge of former President Joseph Estrada."

"We do not in any manner support any remnant of Estrada in government," Malunes said.

The union said its members and officers were not opposed to the possible appointment of Tolentino. – Sandy Araneta