Why MRT-3 tracks are crumbling

Five components of the MRT-3 need proper upkeep: trains, power supply, signaling system, stations, and tracks. For months the frequent accidents and disruptions were due to non-maintenance of the first three. Coaches ignite, power conks out, and signals go haywire to suddenly brake or open the doors of speeding trains. The long lines are due to unkempt stations, particularly busted ticket machines, turnstiles, elevators, and escalators.

Of late, portions of the tracks too have been crumbling. Four times in the past two weeks, operations have had to stop for hours to weld rail parts. Luckily for 560,000 daily passengers, train drivers have been able to spot the cracked rails on time to brake. Or else, the overloaded coaches could have derailed and crashed onto the busy avenue below.

The reason for the crushed tracks: sleaze at the Dept. of Transport and Communications. The maintenance contractor, Global-APT joint venture, is so influential with DOTC higher-ups. That’s why it has no compunction merely to recycle instead of replace worn-out tracks.

Though made of special steel, the tracks suffer wear and tear from normal use. More so, if abused six hours a day by overloaded coaches. Most stressed by the trains’ steel rollers are the inside and top lengths of the inverted U-shaped rails. The standard operating procedure is to replace tracks upon reaching the specified hours of use by specified millions of riders.

Global-APT knows that. Its predecessor Sumitomo used to procure rails from Japan and Australia. Besides, APT for years has been servicing the LRT-2, which uses the same track size as MRT-3.

But APT’s partner Global has close ties with DOTC Sec. Joseph Emilio Abaya, as president of the ruling Liberal Party. Its role in the joint venture is to provide the spare parts. It doesn’t. So the contractor merely rotates the tracks like it is rotating car tires. The outside length becomes the inside, but the top is still metal-fatigued. Result: tracks crumble like cookies.

MRT-3 and DOTC middle managers know this. Yet all they can do is warn each other of the risks, while Abaya et al obfuscate the issue.

Last Sept. 4 DOTC U-Sec. Edwin R. Lopez sent a note to MRT-3 acting chief Renato San Jose about “the alleged failure of Global-APT to comply with one of its contractual obligations.” Excerpts:

“When Global-APT JV assumed as Temporary Maintenance Provider of MRT3 on 04 September 2013, there were twenty nine (29) pieces of Stock Rails for rail replacement. Since then, the said number has gone down to two and a half (2.5) pieces. Furthermore, the latest Rail Replacement Summary as of 06 August 2014 revealed that, in at least two (2) instances, Global-APT JV has used old rails instead of new ones.

“Based on the provisions of the contract, it is the responsibility of Global-APT JV to procure and deliver all necessary parts, which includes Stock Rails. Specifically, Item 1.5, Title VIII (Maintenance Specifications) of the Technical Specifications provides that:

“1. Contractor shall permanently adapt the level of stocks (nature and quantity) to the actual needs resulting from system conditions; and

“2. Contractor shall ensure at all times that a commercially and technically adequate supply of spare parts is on hand for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and for Special Repairs.”

Global-APT clearly was in breach of contract. Lopez and San Jose could do nothing. For, also on Sept. 4, Abaya had U-Sec. Jose Perpetuo Lotilla extend the contract of favored Global-APT that was to expire the next day.

Addressed to authorized reps Alan Ortencio and Marlo dela Cruz (3F MPI Bldg., 1052 EDSA, Magallanes Village, Makati City), the letter of extension stated:

“This is to inform you that the Bids and Awards Committee in its meeting on 4 September 2014 resolved to engage the services of Global-APT Joint Venture as Maintenance Provider for the MRT3 System in the amount of Fifty Seven Million Eighty Six Thousand Seven Hundred Seventy Four Pesos and Ninety One Centavos (P57,086,774.91) per month which shall be on a month-to-month basis and may be terminated at the option of the DOTC-MRT3 at any time, but not earlier than two (2) weeks from 4 September 2014.

“Such services shall be under the same terms and conditions as stated in the original Contract and its Terms of Reference, subject to compliance with the documentary requirements as provided under the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Government Procurement Reform Act.”

Abaya extended the very contract that Global-APT was breaching. So expect the MRT-3’s deteriorated tracks, trains, power supply, signaling system, and stations to worsen.

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My exposé last Monday of multimillion-peso misspending by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency drew an instant reaction from blogger “Pulis Pogi,” an incognito cop. Said he of the P27,814,000 pocketed from bogus car rentals in the first quarter of 2013 alone:

“That’s the old ‘conversion’ racket. The Notice of Cash Allotment is given to a dealer (Napoles is one) for conversion to cash.

“Step 1: dealer asks a qualified (accredited) car rental for receipt(s) worth, say, P1 million. For this, dealer pays 12-percent VAT and markup, usually 15-20 percent of the amount.

“Step 2: dealer processes all the agency papers, paying off the following to sign: COA auditor, 10 percent; comptroller, 10 percent; end users (drivers, other underlings), 10 percent.

“Step 3: cash the P1-million check, and hand remaining 50 percent to the head of agency.

“Neat, huh? This is the reason why the position of trust nowadays is no longer the intelligence officer but the comptroller. It’s all in an article in my blog: http://pulisnapogi.blogspot.com/2014/09/keeping-up-with-joneses-and-how-it.html,

“To get to the bottom of the scam, just check out the signatories in the clearing documents.”

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