Foreign rail firm denies sabotage raps

Belgian firm Transurb Technical (TNR) decried yesterday economic sabotage charges purportedly hurled against them by top Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) officials. TNR stressed in a press statement that they had not engaged in any attempt to derail the operations of LRT Line-1 so that extend their technical maintenance contract until July.

The rail operations firm said they respect the decision of the LRTA board not to extend its contract. It stressed they turned over to the LRTA last May 16 a fully functioning LRT Line 1 running from Monumento to Baclaran.

TNR pointed out that they are currently joining the ongoing bidding process for a new contract, saying they believed that the company is among the most qualified as far as running the LRT 1 is concerned. The firm said that it had no hand in any of the difficulties LRT Line-1 has been experiencing and will definitely not do anything to hamper its efficiency.

Officials said they would not do anything that would endanger teh company name, much less the safety of the riding public since they have been in the business for so long all over the world.

It was earlier reported that LRTA administrator Teodoro Cruz and "chief legal counsel" Zosimo Mendoza accused TNR of sabotaging the operations of LRT Line-1 to force the agency to extend the contract.

However, in interviews yesterday, Mendoza and Cruz both denied hurling the accusations.

Mendoza told The STAR that the report did not come from them, pointing out that there were many erroneous facts in the story such as mistakingly identifying him as chief legal counsel.

However, Mendoza admitted that there was an effort being made by LRTA to investigate alleged "sabotage" activities against LRT Line-1’s operations.

However, he stressed that these steps are being kept confidential – Rainier Allan Ronda