Palace mum on proposals to shut down MRT

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang remains noncommittal to proposals to temporarily shut down Metro Rail Transit (MRT) operations to give way to much-needed repairs.

Press Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. yesterday refused to say whether the Palace is open or opposed to the suggestion, but maintained that the main concern of the national government is still the safety of MRT passengers.

“Let us just wait for the statement of Secretary (Joseph Emilio) Abaya on what step the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) should take to achieve the objective of repairing the MRT,” Coloma said in Filipino.

A lawmaker, on the other hand, warned that commuters should brace for more accidents or breakdowns of the MRT after its service maintenance provider contracted by the DOTC admitted to having a depleted inventory of stock rails.

Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco was referring to reports that as of Sept. 4, the stock rails, which are used to replace worn out sections of the tracks, were down to only two and half pieces even as the MRT saw two disruptions early this month due to broken rails.

“I just hope and pray that there will be no more accidents because maybe, by this time, all the spare rails are used up. So how will the DOTC repair or replace broken rails? The safety of our passengers could be at risk here,” Tiangco said.

Tiangco earlier asked Abaya to heed the safety recommendations of the MRT’s private owners, which sent several letters to him but were ignored.

Abaya told a Senate inquiry that he is under no obligation to meet with the private stakeholders of the MRT as the government has a representative in its board.

But Tiangco said “it is neglect of public duty for the DOTC to not even acknowledge the letters of the private sector warning them of the dangers of a maintenance provider that is not qualified and warning of possible dangers to the riding public as far back as 2012.” 

The DOTC has contracted the services of Global APT as the maintenance service provider for the MRT since September last year. But an official of the firm last week admitted it could not procure additional rails because there was not enough time in their one-year contract to purchase a minimum order of 500 pieces.

Sumitomo was the MRT maintenance provider from 2000 to 2012 and was replaced by a firm appointed by then MRT general manager Al Vitangcol, who later resigned following a bribery scandal.