THE opposition United Nationalist Alliance was seriously concerned at the latest mishap at Metro Manila’s mass transit system on Saturday and scored the Aquino administration as a “public menace” because of its incompetence in running a safe and reliable train line.
Monumento Station in Caloocan City, disrupting LRT’s morning operations that sent
commuters (inset) streaming out of the station. MANNY PALMERO
UNA interim president and Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco made the statement after two more Light Rail Transit trains figured in another crash in Caloocan City around 7 a.m. Saturday.
No passenger was injured in the crash and only one of the two train’s operators suffered minor cuts because of the accident, but officials of the Light Rail Transit Authority still could not determine at press time what really caused the mishap that could have hurt hundreds of people.
“The LP administration cannot wash its hands of culpability in this tragic incident,” Tiangco said. “This is the result of their five years of incompetence, inefficiency and corruption at the DOTC. And there is no option but to declare this administration a public menace.”
Tiangco said “incompetence, selective prosecution and massive corruption are the trademarks of the LP regime,” but the Aquino administration cannot blame the opposition to justify its continued failure to address the problems hounding the LRT and the MRT 3.
Tiangco blamed Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who was once transportation secretary, and incumbent Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya for the “indecisive and incompetent” leadership which is one of the reasons behind the mass transit system’s deterioration.
He said neither of the two Cabinet secretaries provided a long-term solution to the problem plaguing the mass transit system, including the Metro Rail Transit 3 whose operations have also have been marred by so many glitches and accidents that endanger the lives of the riding public.
“Worst, the MRT rail system has been mired in charges of massive corruption involving the LP. But instead of addressing these allegations, the LP-led DOTC brushed it aside even if the charges were raised by the former ambassador of Czechoslovakia Josef Rychtar,” Tiangco said.
The first report of irregularity in the MRT’s purchase of passenger coaches was brought to the public by Rychtar decided to speak about the matter.
But instead of probing the ambassador’s claim, the Palace earlier questioned Rychtar’s motives in reviving talks about the 2012 alleged extortion attempt.
“What will be judged by the people in 2016 is the appalling record of this administration. It fails the test of competence and it fails the test of integrity simply because of the unabated yet tolerated acts of large-scale corruption of party members and allies,” said Tiangco.
“And yet it has the gall to say the people need 6 more years of this type of governance. Ano sila hilo (What are they)?” he asked.
LRTA spokesperson Hernando Cabrera, for his part, did not comment on the corruption claim and explained that the mishap was apparently caused by a power supply fluctuation at around 7 a.m. on Saturday at the LRT’s EDSA-Monumento Station.
“So far, no damages to the trains has been reported. The trains involved in the incident now mobilized, will clear out the area soon to allow safety inspections and full line operations,” he added. The LRT resumed normal operations at 1:29 p.m. after six hours.