MRT-3 packing riders like sardines

Enough is enough. Expect such reply from Cavite politician Erineo Maliksi to revivers of graft charges against him. The Sandiganbayan had rejected the raps last month, for grave injustice. Filed in Aug. 2005, they involve P2.5 million in disaster medicines. The Ombudsman elevated the cases to the anti-graft court in Aug. 2014. Noting an “inordinate nine-year delay,” the court said Maliksi’s rights have been violated much too much.

Philippine justice concededly crawls at snail’s pace. Still, nine years is beyond normal. In three big cases the Sandiganbayan already dissed the Ombudsman for dawdling. One was for three, another for six, and the last for eight years’ agony to the accused. Maliksi for nine years bore travel bans, arrests, bail filings, and curtailed liberty.

Political foes first had filed two raps in 2005 with the Ombudsman Deputy for Luzon. The head office received the records only two years later. Just about then the Charity Sweepstakes filed a third case, which the Luzon deputy in 2008 recommended for inclusion in the first two. Actual incorporation and indictment came only in 2014.

Naturally Maliksi cried justice delayed. Blaming him for not saying so earlier, the Ombudsman deemed him to have waived his right to speedy trial. Maliksi did not deign to rebut the non sequitur. The court consequently ruled that the burden rests on the State (Ombudsman) not only to prosecute, but also to justify any delay, if reasonable and not its fault. Here the Ombudsman did not explain the delay.

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Typical of Filipinos to laugh at own misfortune, MRT-3 riders joke about their jam-packed commutes. Like, “We’re so tightly pressed against one another that we exchange body odors by the time we get off.” Or, “our faces are so close I can tell what the next guy had for breakfast.” Or, “we got on as strangers, then got off engaged to be married.”

MRT-3 passengers are overloaded to perilous point. Each ride, they risk losing life or limb. Why they haven’t yet is only by luck. Such luck emboldens transport officials and maintenance contractors – all Liberal Party mates – to go on with their shoddiness.

The jam-packing is gleaned from two MRT-3 insiders’ sensitivity analyses of available figures for 2014:

• Total ticket sales, P2,020,966,026; total ridership, 166,007,538; or P12.17 average fare per rider (P2,020,966,026 ticket sales ÷ 166,007,538);

• Operating days, 360; coach size, 90sqm (3m x 30m); designed capacity, 394 adults, or 1,182 per three-coach train; target trips per train per day, 18.

From that the experts sought the theoretical number of operating trains: P2,020,966,026 sales ÷ P12.17 average fare ÷ 360 days ÷ 1,182 passengers per train ÷ 18 trips per day = 21.67 trains running per day.

That there were 21 running trains per day in 2014 is impossible. In the last two months alone, records show, MRT-3 fielded only 13 to 14 trains on average during peak hours. It was way below the 20 trains required from the maintenance contractor on weekdays, 6-9 a.m. and 5-8 p.m. (see Gotcha, 2 Mar. 2015).

At best during that period – Dec. 22, 2014-Feb. 27, 2015 — MRT-3 could run only 15 or 16 trains during peak hours. Every day eight or so coaches, to form three trains, normally are under repair. There were bad days with only 11 or 12 trains on peak hours.

The same two-month report stated that 16 coaches, or five trains, no longer are working. The LP-led maintenance firm had let MRT-3 deteriorate from the total 72 working coaches or 24 trains, that it took over in Oct. 2012. MRT-3 general manager Ramon Buenafe did not answer calls and texts to explain the situation.

From the figures the experts analyzed that MRT-3 had overloaded the riders more than 394 to a coach, about four per sqm as designed. It packed them like sardines up to 500 riders per coach, nearly six per sqm.

It’s no joke. The sloppy LP maintenance firm has run down MRT-3. In vicious cycle, daily overloading further dilapidates the trains, tracks, signaling system, power supply, and stations. Any time a train can derail and fall onto the busy avenue below. Yet LP transport officials don’t care, knowing that riders have no choice but to take the MRT-3. Why, they even raised MRT-3 fares 70 percent last Jan. 4.

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The Bencab Museum near Baguio City invariably thrills first-time and repeat visitors. There are always featured works by today’s artists.

Ongoing till April is an exhibit of black-and-white paintings and drawings by Hermes Alegre, Virgilio Aviado, Elmer Borlongan, Louie Cordero, Kawayan de Guia, Jose Legaspi, Justin Nuyda, Azor Pazcoguin, Iggy Rodriguez – and National Artist Ben Cabrera himself.

On display in another hall till end-March is B&W photography by Eliza Consul, Tommy Hafalla, Rudy Furuya, Ric Maniquis, Ompong Tan, Boy Yñiguez – and Bencab.

Of permanent fascination are Bencab’s priceless folk art collections. There are centuries-old life-size and miniature Bulul (Ifugao god of harvest), and Cordilleran headdress, weaves, wares, weapons, and furniture. Also fossilized tree trunks. And, for restricted viewing, antique tribal erotica.

Rounding up the tour are works by the old masters. Plus Bencab’s several studies of Sabel – on camera, ceramic, and sculpture.

Only 15 minutes’ drive from Burnham Park to Km. 6 Asin Road, Tuba, Benguet. Landline: (074) 4427165; mobile: (0920) 5301954. Website: www.bencabmuseum.org.

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Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).

Gotcha archives on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jarius-Bondoc/1376602159218459, or The STAR website http://www.philstar.com/author/Jarius%20Bondoc/GOTCHA

E-mail: [email protected].