MRT chief plans to resign in time; apologizes to passengers
MANILA, Philippines – Embattled Metro Railway Transit (MRT) general manager Al Vitangcol III said he will voluntarily resign if and when he is cleared from allegations of extortion.
Speaking to ANC's Headstart, Vitangcol said he has already planned to step down from his post and leave the public sector once proven that he did not try to extort $30 million from Czech firm Inekon Group in exchange for the contract to supply trains to the MRT system.
He said quitting from his position at this time may be misinterpreted as an admission of guilt that he allegedly masterminded the supposed extort attempt, as claimed by Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar.
"I have considered resigning, okay, but not at this time. Because if I resign at this time, it might be construed as an admission of guilt. Once I'm cleared by all investigating bodies, nobody would ask me to resign, I will resign."
The beleaguered MRT chief thinks that the Czech ambassador is just making up the extortion allegations, but for reasons he could not figure out.
Vitangcol also claimed that officials from Malacañang or the Aquino administration are not protecting him. He said the President nor Interior and Local Government Sec. Mar Roxas, a former transportation and communications chief, have never spoken to him.
"Nobody is protecting me. As I have mentioned, I am not a politician. I am a technocrat," he said.
Some sectors are now calling for Vitangcol's resignation also because of his alleged "mismanagement" and "inefficiency" as MRT chief.
"Siya mismo ay [dapat] magtender ng voluntary resignation and then give way dun sa mahuhusay o marunong sa technical aspect ng MRT or LRT, particularly sa management aspect. Hindi siya focused sa tungkulin, focused siya sa corruption," Riles Network convenor Sammy Malunes told ANC in a phone-patch interview on Thursday.
Malacañang on Thursday said it is unfair to blame him for all the problems of the train system.
Read: Palace urges public to ride 'uncongested' buses amid MRT woes
While resisting such resignation calls, Vitangcol assured that the MRT management is doing its best to address the problems of the train system.
Claiming that he knows the plight of the passengers because he rides the MRT on a weekly basis for his inspections, Vitangcol also apologized to the commuting public for the inconvenience in their riding experience.
"I apologize to all our passengers for the inconvenience that they have suffered, but the MRT3 is doing, exerting its best effort so that the lines will be alleviated and we strive to improve the service. And when the new trains arrive, I am sure that there will no longer be congestion.
In a Senate hearing earlier this week, Vitangcol said they will be acquiring 48 new train coaches or cars that will be connected to form trains.
Vitangcol said three coaches will arrive every month starting February next year and will be completed by 2016.
The MRT is currently servicing up to 560,000 passengers daily, almost double its capacity of 350,000, according to Vitangcol. -Louis Bacani
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