THE proposal to build a common LRT-MRT terminal is so “ambitious,” the government will likely have to pay penalties because it cannot be finished on time but officials of the Department of Transportation should be the ones to pay the fines out of their own pockets.
Alvarez also demanded that Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade personally attend the hearing on the P2.8-billion contract for the proposed common station near the Ayala Trinoma mall in Quezon City because his subalterns continue to show incompetence.
“That is not the government’s fault. Why should the government be penalized?” Alvarez said after DoTR Undersecretary for the rail sector Cesar Chavez the P2.8-billion terminal may not be completed by 2019 as agreed in the contract.
“You refuse to build the terminal that has already been funded by government. You prefer the ambitious terminal,” Alvarez said, referring to the 2009 plan to build the common station near SM North Annex.
It was the second time, Alvarez lost his cool since March 9 when he threatened to impeach judges who would issue restraining orders stopping the bidding and construction of the common MRT-LRT terminal.
He noted that under Republic Act 8975, only the Supreme Court can issue any TRO, preliminary injunction or preliminary mandatory injunction against government infrastructure projects.
Alvarez stressed that the common MRT-LRT terminal project should be constructed as originally envisioned during the 14th Congress, when it was determined that the best location for the common station is in the middle of the Edsa-North Avenue-West Avenue intersection, fronting SM Department store.
But under a recent Memorandum of Agreement signed among the DOTr, other concerned government agencies and with private companies, namely, San Miguel Corp., North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp.-Ayala Corp. Light Rail Manila Corp. and SM Prime Holdings Inc., the common terminal will be built between SM North Edsa and Trinoma in Quezon City.
