FORMER Metro Rail Transit general manager Al Vitangcol on Thursday said he was willing to name names of certain people allegedly involved in corruption in the MRT 3 in exchange for legislative immunity from suit.
Vitangcol, facing two counts of graft and one count of violation of the Procurement Law in connection with the allegedly anomalous PH Trams maintenance contract, said he had long wanted to reveal what he knew but had been prevented from doing so.
Vitangcol made the statement after Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he would refer Vitangcol to the National Bureau of Investigation to give his statement as regards the alleged anomaly.
“I’m always willing to help anybody in the pursuit of justice and in the pursuit of the truth,” Vitangcol told reporters in a media forum in Quezon City.
He said no one from Malacañang had called to ask for his statements.
Roque last week vowed to disclose more details on the alleged corruption, saying two individuals who were previously part of the MRT operations had come forward to give information on the corrupt practices of a certain “Pangasinan Group.”
The group, he said, extracted two-thirds of the P3.8-billion contract with Busan Universal Rail Inc.
Vitangcol said his knowledge about the allegations were already included in his affidavits.
Vitangcol claimed a major party in the previous administration received pay-offs from penalties imposed on the MRT maintenance provider at that time.
“During my time, every month, we deducted from the P50 plus million maintenance fee this penalty…,” he said.
“I would assume, just my own, since this was in the previous administration, we assume it the major political party at that time.”
Vitangcol said he was suspicious about reports of two whistleblowers who were going to testify against transportation officials of the previous administration.
He warned that the two alleged whistleblowers could put up a smokescreen to divert attention away from those who are culpable for the mess in the MRT 3.
Roque said the whistleblowers claimed a certain “Pangasinan Group” and several politicians pocketed two-thirds of the payment given to the MRT’s former maintenance provider, Filipino-Korean consortium Busan Universal Rail Inc.
In the interview, Vitangcol said there was a “concerted effort” to stop him from revealing all he knew about corruption during the past administration.
Vitangcol said he was willing to testify, but when he attended hearings at the House of Representatives and the Senate, he was not allowed to speak.