OFFICIALS of the Department of Transportation and Communications who were directly involved in the operations of MRT-3 should be charged with corruption for alleged irregularities that have been causing train commuters great inconvenience.
“This report of the sub-committee should be submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice, and the Civil Service Commission for appropriate actions and must be considered as initial leads as there are strong indications of violations of RA 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” said Senator Grace Poe.
Poe, chairman of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, which conducted the Senate investigation into the problems hounding the MRT-3, did not enumerate the names of DoTC officials whom she said would likely be slapped with graft-charges.
Poe, however, has repeatedly called on President Benigno Aquino III to fire DoTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya due to the irregularities that marred his administration.
In a 45-page report, Poe said they observed badges of negligence and inaction of the DoTC officials, led by Abaya, indicating insensitiveness, callous indifference and acts disadvantageous to the commuters, the Filipino public and the government.
Poe said that in recent months, the derailment and danger of riding the MRT emerged due to the absence of a good maintenance provider and when the DoTC awarded the MRT’s maintenance contract to PH Trams and APT-Global.
The report said it should be noted that PH Trams and APT-Global are not reputable entities. One of the companies was barely two months old with only P625,000 in capital, but it bagged the deal worth P517.5 million, 828 times bigger than the firm’s capital.
The report also said the DOTC awarded an interim maintenance contract to PH Trams-CB and T Joint Venture last October via a negotiated bid through a forced emergency procurement, only 12 days before the expiration of the existing six-month contract of Sumitomo.