SC to tackle petitions vs LRT, MRT fare hike today

MANILA, Philippines - Justices of the Supreme Court will resume session today after a month-long holiday recess and tackle petitions seeking to stop the fare increase in the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT).

An insider bared that the four petitions filed by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), former Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr., Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares and United Filipino Consumers and Commuters last week have been included in the agenda of the high court.

The magistrates, according to one of them, are expected to deliberate on the urgent plea in the petitions for issuance of temporary restraining order (TRO) or status quo ante order (SQA) on the recent fare increase.

The source also disclosed that the justice-in-charge of the case has come up with a recommendation to be voted upon during the session.

The insider said the ponente, or justice tasked to write the decision on the case, even went to the SC last week while the tribunal was on recess just to study the petitions and determine whether or not the issuance of TRO or SQA would be in order.

The ponente was not named due to a confidentiality rule.

Petitioners asked the high court to void the order of Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) last month that paved the way for the fare increase.

Petitioners accused the DOTC of committing grave abuse of discretion in approving the increase and also of violating the constitutional right to due process of millions of mass transit commuters since there was allegedly no consultation held prior to implementation of the fare adjustment.

Named respondents in the petitions were Transportation Secretary Jose Emilio Abaya, MRT Office officer-in-charge Renato San Jose, LRT Authority administrator Honorito Chaneco, MRT Corp. and Light Rail Manila Consortium of Ayala and Metro Pacific.

The DOTC implemented last Jan. 4 an increased base fare of P11 for both the LRT and MRT, with an additional P1 charge for every kilometer.

The fare adjustments jacked up the fares of LRT-1 from Baclaran to Roosevelt stations and vice versa to P29 for a one-way trip from P12 and P15; LRT-2 from Santolan to Recto stations and vice versa to P24 from P20; and MRT from North Avenue to Taft Avenue stations and vice versa to P28 from P15.

Lump sum funds in nat’l budget assailed

Also included in the SC’s agenda today are the two petitions filed during the break by Syjuco and a group led by former Biliran Rep. Glenn Chong which assailed the 2015 General Appropriations Act (GAA) signed by President Aquino last month.

Petitioners assailed provisions in the 2015 GAA covering over a trillion pesos or almost half of the P2.606-trillion national budget that are lump sum and discretionary funds, which the SC declared unconstitutional in its earlier ruling on the pork barrel system in Congress.

Also in the agenda is the petition of lawyer Remigio Michael Ancheta assailing an order of the Energy Regulatory Commission allowing an additional P0.04 per kilowatt-hour in bills of consumers of Manila Electric Co. for this month.

The habeas corpus petition of the wife of convicted drug lord Amin Imam Boratong questioning his transfer from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa to the National Bureau of Investigation after a raid last month is likewise included in the SC’s agenda.

In the next full court session on Jan. 20, justices are set to deliberate on the petitions seeking disqualification of former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada in the 2013 mayoralty poll.

Also scheduled to be taken up are the motions to reconsider the SC’s July 1, 2014 ruling striking down as unconstitutional portions of the Disbursement Acceleration Program of the President and the petitions of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada on their plunder cases in connection with the pork barrel fund scam.