Mar's allies: Transport woes won't affect his bid

MANILA, Philippines — Allies of Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II are confident that the sorry state of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the perennial traffic woes would not hurt his chances in the upcoming election.

LP President and Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya said the government has undertaken steps to address the problems hounding hundreds of thousands of Filipino commuters every day.

"We have acquired new trains. Four of them have arrived and another four will be delivered by the end of March or starting April. We are confident that there will be improvements," Abaya told reporters Thursday in Cavite.

"The Daang Matuwid (straight path) is providing solutions and is not just sitting down on the old system of the MRT 3," he added.

Abaya was interviewed in Cavite, the same province where President Aquino said in 2013 that he and the transportation chief were willing to be run over by a train if the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 project from Baclaran to Bacoor is not finished in two years.

The government missed the target but Aquino did not make good on his promise. Aquino's spokespersons, however, said the president's statements should not be taken literally even as they appealed for understanding for the project delay.

The LP-led Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid said Roxas, a former transportation secretary, has laid out doable solutions to the problems and is hopeful that voters will consider them in the upcoming polls.

"We acknowledge that the issue of traffic and the MRT are of particular concern to our fellow Filipinos, especially those in NCR (National Capital Region). Secretary Mar shares these concerns, and has already laid out a concrete, specific, and realistic set of solutions," Coalition spokesman and Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez said.

"We trust that the voting public will appreciate Secretary Mar's comprehensive and well-grounded plans to solve these issues, and that this will reflect in the vote," he added.

Gutierrez said among the solutions being proposed by Roxas are additional road infrastructure, an innovative new bus franchising system, and improved enforcement and regulation.

Abaya, for his part, admitted that commuters are not yet satisfied with the country's transportation system and more has to be done to improve it.

"It's their right to demand service, to be impatient and to demand additional service from the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communication)," he said.

Roxas has been blamed for problems plaguing the MRT, which serves as the daily mode of transportation of close to 600,000 people.

The MRT Holdings (MRTH) previously claimed that the long lines and the train breakdowns started to happen when Roxas assumed as DOTC Secretary.

MRTH said the government did not renew its contract with Sumitomo Corp. the original maintenance contractor in 2012.

According to the MRTH, the proposal of Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corp. (PH Trams), a firm described in previous reports as undercapitalized and inexperienced, was entertained under Roxas's watch.

Abaya has defended the government's decision to terminate its deal with Sumitomo, saying the Japanese firm has raised its service rates but would not provide warranties. He also stressed that they had to hire a new maintenance service provider to ensure the safety of commuters.

The transportation chief said the law allows the DOTC to negotiate a new contract but the agency resorted to a "simplified bidding" and asked three contractors to submit bids.

A joint venture between Comm Builders and Technology Philippines Corp. (CB&T) and two-month old PH Trams, was selected as the new maintenance contractor.

Last month, the Senate subcommittee on public services said there were "strong indications" of graft among Abaya and other transportation officials who oversaw the MRT operations.

In a report, the sub-committee said it has seen "badges of negligence and inactions" of transportation officials that indicate "insensitiveness, callous indifference, and acts disadvantageous to commuters, the Filipino public, and the government."

The subcommittee attributed the train systems' maintenance problems to the awarding of contracts to inefficient maintenance providers and the shift of responsibility to procure maintenance provider from MRTC to the DOTC.