MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said he plans to ride the Metro Rail Transit 3 weekly to better understand commuters' struggles.
Roque, who claimed he always takes the MRT for appointments, said he would take the train so he can personally call attention to problems on the train line.
"All I can offer you is I can offer once a week to take MRT coming to work," Roque said in a press briefing.
"I can do that, so that I can complain personally to the MRT people. Maybe I'll do that, once a week, I'll do that," he added.
He said he lives in Quezon City so he would take the Katipunan station. Reporters reminded him that the station is part of the Light Rail Transit 2, not MRT-3.
"Oo. Okay. We’ll see you at 9 o’clock Katipunan Station, okay? On Thursday," he said insisting that it is MRT.
Malacañang Palace is near Legarda Station, which is on the Light Rail Transit-2, a separate and newer line.
Roque’s statement came after the government drew flak for a decoupling incident near the MRT's Ayala Station last week. The detachment of the MRT coach disrupted train operations and forced more than a hundred commuters to walk to the station.
President Rodrigo Duterte has apologized for the inconvenience caused by the incident.
READ: Duterte apologizes over MRT troubles
Roque assured the riding public that the government is already “crying for a solution” to better the MRT services but clarified that it is difficult to set a deadline for it. He vowed that those responsbile for the MRT mess would be held liable.
Commuters have complained about the several stoppages experienced due to technical problems of the mass rail system.
“We’re crying for a solution and we’re crying for a quick solution and I’m sure that Secretary (Arthur) Tugade and (Undersecretary Cesar) Chavez are really taking all the necessary steps,” Roque said.
“We must stress that the great suffering of the riding public as result of the failure to deliver on the responsibilities of public office, such as the case of the current state of the MRT-3 system, carries consequences and that those accountable will be held liable,” he said.
Meanwhile, a National Bureau of Investigation probe into potential sabotage in the MRT decoupling incident is underway. —With reports from Alexis Romero