Roxas: Vitangcol trying to pass guilt

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II dismissed yesterday the allegation of former Metro Rail Transit (MRT) general manager Al Vitangcol that he was involved in the cornering of maintenance contracts and purchase of coaches for the rail system.

Roxas said it was Vitangcol who should be explaining since he was charged before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan for graft when he awarded a maintenance contract to PH Trams, of which one of the incorporators was his wife’s uncle.

“What’s evident here is that it’s Al Vitangcol who’s being charged over a contract with a company where his family has a financial interest. Instead of trying to muddle the issue and fool the people, he should answer the charges,” Roxas told reporters here after visiting a factory that packages coco water for export.

He said when he assumed the post of secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications in 2011 until when he left the DOTC the following year, it was Sumitomo – the company maintaining the system – that was the maintenance provider.

He said based on the procurement law, it was not the DOTC but the MRT that was the buyer of the maintenance contract. So it was Vitangcol as then general manager of the rail system who was responsible for the maintenance contract mess.

The Sandiganbayan earlier found probable cause to put Vitangcol on trial for graft over the maintenance contract and ordered his arrest along with the other co-accused.

Vitangcol posted P90,000 bail or P30,000 each for three counts of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

‘I did more’

Meanwhile, Roxas hit back at his rivals who have been criticizing him over his performance in helping areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, saying he did more in helping distressed Filipinos during disasters than all of them combined.

Roxas said while his rivals, particularly Vice President Jejomar Binay, were in their air-conditioned offices, he was already in Leyte days before Yolanda slammed into the Visayas and stayed there several days after to oversee the rescue and relief efforts.

Being hands on in the heart of disaster areas, like when Typhoon Ruby hit the Visayas in 2014, was his practice while he was still Interior secretary, he said.

“You know my rivals, they’ll do anything to hit me. They’ll throw everything at me, just to boost their ratings. But what’s their track record? What have they done to help?” Roxas asked reporters. – With Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla