Palace to DOTC: No more MRT mishaps

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will make sure the accident at the Metro Rail Transit 3 will not be repeated, Malacañang said yesterday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said President Aquino does not want the safety of commuters compromised at any time.

He said Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya informed Malacañang that MRT-3 management is looking into the cause of the accident on Wednesday afternoon.

He said the focus is on proper safety procedures and the improvement of facilities of MRT-3. He assured the public that transportation concerns are among the priorities of the President and his administration would do whatever is necessary for the sake of the commuting public.

He said whoever would be held accountable for the accident would be known after the investigation.

At least 36 passengers were injured, several vehicles damaged, an electric post toppled and traffic on EDSA was snarled when a defective MRT-3 train rammed a concrete barrier at the terminal’s EDSA-Taft station.

‘MRT-3 safe’

While vouching for the safety of MRT-3, Abaya admitted that a lot has to be done on the 15-year-old mass transit system.

He also dismissed claims that Wednesday’s incident was an “accident waiting to happen.”

“If I believe that I will shut it down. Safety is our priority so why would I even entertain a 100 percent accident scenario. But again, I am responsible enough to truth, lies and to our best judgment what is the accurate situation,” he said.

“What it tells me is the system is old and the government has to move to upgrade. What it tells me, probably there are a lot of things that should have been done years ago,” he added.

“Unfortunately, no one has taken it seriously to get it done. My conscience is clear, government is acting and doing the right thing. At the end of the day, to be safe, we won’t run it if it’s not safe,” he said.

Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC) built MRT-3 through a build-lease-transfer agreement 15 years ago.

MRT-3 officer-in-charge Honorito Chaneco admitted the rail line is not perfect and is showing signs of age.

Chaneco, also administrator of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), stressed the need to upgrade the system every five years and the electronic system every 10 years.

“What we found out when I took over, there has never been an upgrade in all systems,” he said.

Train drivers face raps

The two drivers of the MRT-3 trains involved in the accident appeared before the Station Investigation and Detective Management Branch (SIDMB) of the Pasay City police yesterday to give their statement.

Chief Inspector Angelito de Juan, chief of the SIDMB, said charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple physical injuries and damage to property will be filed next week against James Roque, 42, and Haigen Villacarlos, 28.

Roque was the driver of the defective train while Villacarlos was the operator of the second train that pushed the one that derailed.

In their joint statement, the drivers said they got clearance from the MRT control center to push the defective train, which stalled between the Magallanes and Taft stations, toward Taft.

At least five victims – Gina Mendoza, Aileen Santos, May Castro Martinez, Maria Vetervo and Emmanuel Villanueva, who were rushed to the Pasay City General Hospital – filed complaints against the two drivers.

Two other victims – Reneo Lazalia 61, and Mary Martinez, 26 – are still confined at the PGH and San Juan de Dios Hospital, respectively.

Speeding

Sources said the driver of the train that pushed the stalled train was speeding.

The train was running at 38 kilometers per hour when the international standard “hauling” speed should only be 5 kph, sources said.

Hernando Cabrera, LRTA spokesman and corporate secretary, told The STAR they are also investigating if the coupling that connected the two trains was securely fastened.

Gov’t takeover

Both Abaya and Chaneco stressed the need for government takeover of MRTC through an equity value buyout worth P56 billion.

“There are legal hindrances right now. We have to be reminded DOTC-MRT is the operator of the train system but we are not actually the legal owner,” Chaneco said.

After the takeover, Abaya said the government intends to bid out the operation and maintenance of MRT-3.

Abaya said the government is also pursuing a P3.8-billion MRT-3 capacity expansion program involving the acquisition of 48 new trains. The contract was awarded to CNR Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock of China.

He said the DOTC would also bid out a three-year maintenance contract for MRT-3 this month as the one-year contract of Autre Porte Technique Global Inc. (APT) is set to expire on Sept. 5.

Prior to APT, the system was being maintained by PH Trams CB&T joint venture. The previous maintenance contract between the MRTC and Japanese firm Sumitomo Corp. has been extended four times.

“We are trying to extend the contract to three years and we want to encourage foreign participation,” Abaya said.

LRT-1, LRT-2

He said similar longer contracts for the maintenance of Light Rail Transit lines 1 and 2 (LRT-1 and LRT-2) are being considered.

“One reform measure for LRT-1, LRT-2 and MRT-3 is to expand the contract in a way to encourage foreign big players – not to discriminate against Filipinos. What we want are new players here to bring in competition, bring in expertise, better and cheaper contracts,” he said.

Senate inquiry

Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Aquilino Pimentel III have filed resolutions calling for a Senate inquiry into the accident.

Angara said the incident was “an accident-in-waiting” since the MRT-3 has doubled its original passenger capacity of 350,000. He said experts have also warned of MRT-3’s “metal fatigue.”

“We must look into this MRT-3 incident, as well as the country’s rail system and transport network policy, with the view of instituting policy reforms to address the country’s infrastructure needs in the next 50 years,” he said.

Under Senate Resolution 839, Angara also cited recent incidents involving the MRT-3, including a short-circuit that caused a fire in one of the coaches in November 2012, the shutdown of operations in October last year and when a train stopped at Ayala station, causing injuries to at least 10 commuters.

“The litany of incidents highlights the need to look into the operation-worthiness of the MRT to ensure the safety and welfare of the riding public that bear daily long cues just to ply through the metro,” he said.

Aquino said the Senate probe should gather all stakeholders “to collaboratively find the best solutions in the short-term and in the long-term.”

“Let us not wait for a major accident to happen before we address the long overdue problems – a more rigid inspection system, the rehabilitation, maintenance and replacement of parts of the trains and railway, and the like,” he said.

Pimentel blamed the accident on poor maintenance. He said the management was forced to go on a monthly procurement of capital spares and consumables that led to the “cannibalization” of some train parts.

Sen. Grace Poe filed Senate Bill 2266 calling for the creation of a National Transportation Safety Board that will investigate and report on air, road and sea accidents as well as those involving pipeline, railroad and tracked vehicles.

House probe

Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian and Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, chairman of the House committee on Metro Manila development, said the panel is also set to conduct an inquiry into the problems besetting the MRT and other rail systems.

“The issue here is not just the need to review emergency procedures and retraining of the MRT staff but also the way the MRT is being managed,” said Gatchalian.

He said Malacañang should take the accident as a cue to let a private firm be hired by the government to take care of the MRT’s operations and maintenance.

“The riding public has suffered enough. The MRT used to bring inconvenience because of its frequent glitches and limited operations, but now it also brings bodily harm to passengers. The public deserves a better but still affordable mode of transportation,” he said.

Poor maintenance

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said the DOTC, private investors and private maintenance firm APT should be held accountable for the poor state of the train system.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said taxpayers are paying $1.3 million or P57 million every month to the private maintenance firm APT, which got a one-year contract last year.

“There is definitely a problem with the privatized maintenance of the trains and the poor services and frequent problems encountered by commuters,” he said.

He said taxpayers are also paying the private investors of MRT as much as P6 billion a year in financial obligations.

“Private profits are guaranteed through the so-called equity rental payments made by government to the investors. Yet despite billions in yearly payments, train services are dismal and commuters are made to suffer. There is no upgrade, no expansion. The safety protocols also need to be reviewed in light of the huge volume of passengers in relation to the poor facilities of the train system,” Reyes said. – With Lawrence Agcaoili, Rhodina Villanueva, Christina Mendez, Perseus Echeminada, Paolo Romero, Rainier Allan Ronda