THE people “deserve a better [Department of Transportation and Communications] secretary” Senator Grace Poe said on Monday after incumbent DoTC chief Joseph Emilio Abaya admitted people will have to wait until 2016 before they can see an improvement in the metro train service.
“Perhaps, Secretary Abaya is very intelligent, but I think we need not only that. We also need one who focuses on a project so that it will be delivered on time,” Poe told reporters after a hearing of the Senate subcommittee on public services which she chairs.
“To say ‘we have to bear [with it] because it’ll only be a few months more’ is like saying it’s ok. Until now, the [new train sets] are not yet there, so it cannot be used. Until now, it takes three months to finish a [toilet] and [even more] to fix an escalator,” said Poe.
Poe said other people may be able to hasten the process and quickly ease the suffering of the commuting public and Abaya failed to perform many duties as DoTC chief.
Abaya, for his part, defended himself by saying the procurement law has been a challenge for the DoTC because they have to strictly follow the rules stated under the law.
“[But] they should be proactive. We have questions that they cannot answer, like ones on the bidding. He [Abaya] said it is not in his committee. He should know everything. The deadlines, the delivery. They are asking each other the circumstances behind the delay,” Poe said.
Last year, Abaya said the delivery of the 48 new MRT coaches worth P3.76 billion from China’s Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. will start in September this year.
But Abaya said the schedule of arrival of the first new three coaches have been reset in January next year following an inspection of the manufacturing plant of the train coaches in Dalian, China last June.
But Abaya turned down suggestions that he resign from the DoTC.
“Again, serving in the government is a mere privilege which can be taken from him anytime. What is important is the privilege to serve the people is there, it continues to be a mere privilege for me,” he added.
Senator Francis Escudero said Abaya should be fired from his position, citing the many issues that marred the DoTC like the poor Internet connection, and exorbitant mobile fees, bullet planting scam, horrible MRT, miserable airport facilities and delays of license plates, car stickers an drivers’ license cards.
“He seems interested that I am answering his questions. We have many information and we will return. What I am saying, serving the government is a privilege. It’s not even a right so therefore, I can be removed any time,” said Abaya while alluding to Escudero.
Abaya insisted he is serving the people in the best way he can amid suggestions that cannot effectively do his job because many of his DOTC subordinates were his upperclassmen at the Philippine Military Academy.
“If you count the number of all my upperclassman in the DOTC, it’s just more than 10. I address them ‘sir.’ But that is not an issue to me. I can still order people by addressing them ‘sir’,” said Abaya, a member of PMA Maringal Class of 1988.
Some of Abaya’s upperclassmen are undersecretary for project implementation and special concerns Julianito Bucayan, undersecretary for operations Edwin Lopez, Manila International Airport Authority general manager Jose Angel Honrado and Office for Transportation Security administrator Roland Recomono.