DOTr Usec Chavez resigns over MRT woes

MANILA, Philippines — Citing delicadeza, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez tendered his irrevocable resignation yesterday morning as he took full responsibility for the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) incidents last week rather than put the blame on anybody else or the past administration.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, who is being asked to quit because of the MRT-3, traffic and infrastructure problems of the country, said he was surprised by the sudden resignation of Chavez and, contrary to the insinuation of others, he did not “cause or ask” for his resignation.

Chavez himself said he was not being used as the sacrificial lamb in the face of public criticism after the decoupling of train cars on Nov. 16 and a freak accident that made a commuter lose her arm on Nov. 14.

Chavez’s resignation also came as the DOTr filed charges against nine Cabinet secretaries of the Aquino administration, other officials and individuals for alleged plunder and graft for their supposed roles in anomalous transactions relating to the maintenance service contracts of the MRT-3.

In his resignation letter addressed to President Duterte dated yesterday, Chavez said “a simple sense of delicadeza, which I have adhered to throughout my professional life, gives me no choice but to resign from my said position.”

“It is also my intent and hope that my resignation provides opportunity for the appointment of (a) person better qualified to perform the duties and responsibilities of the subject office,” Chavez read from his resignation letter as he held back tears.  

He also thanked Duterte for entrusting him with the job and expressed his wish for the MRT-3 problems to be resolved properly and with dispatch. 

Chavez said he immediately informed Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, who recommended him to the President, of his intention to resign just a few hours after the decoupling of the train cars last week, but was stopped from doing so as it was not yet the right time.

But Chavez said he has been in office for more than a year now, as he was appointed on Oct.18 last year and that “we cannot always blame the past administration.”

“…this is our responsibility now. In our view, this is my responsibility, particularly as undersecretary for railways,” Chavez told reporters in a press conference at the MRT-3’s depot in Quezon City.  

Chavez stressed nobody from the DOTr or Malacañang pressured him to step down from his post.  

Despite his resignation, Chavez claimed that the MRT Transition Team (MTT) managed to improve the services of the train system a few days after they terminated the MRT-3’s contract with its service provider Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI) and that the latest incidents were “unfortunate.”

He said the improvements would have been noticeable if the incidents did not take place. 

He noted that the MRT-3 had experienced only one to two unloading incidents when they temporarily took over the maintenance work of the train system compared to BURI, which recorded more than five per day.       

“We were just really hit by the decoupling of train cars and that’s where we were judged by the public and the commuters and that is just right, we take responsibility for the inconvenience,” Chavez said. 

Chavez, who was the former deputy administrator of the Light Rail Transit-1 (LRT-1) during the Arroyo administration and also a former official of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), said he learned about the importance of spare parts and good management of the train system during his stint at the LRT-1 and MRT-3.

“Kung hindi nakakabilli ng spare parts, nagkaka-aberya; kung kulang performance ng management, nagkakaproblema (If spare parts are not purchased, glitches arise; if management performance is lacking, problems occur),” he said. 

Chavez, who was also a former newsman of radio dzRH, said he can go back to being a university president or to being a reporter after his resignation. 

Although he did not recommend anyone to take his place, Chavez said many best and brightest Filipino experts can work with the MRT-3, including train expert Rene Santiago who worked in the railways during the time of former presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Fidel Ramos. 

Santiago, a railway consultant and a former chief operating officer of the North Luzon Railway Corp., thanked Chavez for complimenting his expertise, but said that he would not accept any offer as he has “no plans to commit harakiri” or suicide.

“…I am not crazy…I don’t want to commit harakiri and I don’t want to shoulder that problem. That’s Tugade’s problem,” Santiago told The STAR.

Santiago said he had told Chavez that the MRT-3 is bound to fail and it is a difficult job before the resigned official accepted the DOTr post.

But he said he does not want to blame Chavez for the problems hounding MRT-3 operations.

“He [Chavez] tried his best to do it. It’s a very difficult job, it’s bound to fail. Kawawa naman siya (It’s a pity). That’s why I wanted to talk to him. That’s a battle he will not be able to win,” he added.  

Out of the way

Meanwhile, BURI’s lawyer Maricris Pahate said she was surprised by the resignation of Chavez, but said that they had a chance to explain their side with Tugade now that Chavez is out of the picture. 

“Before we have a problem with him (Chavez), so we are assuming that whatever he is advising that’s all Secretary Tugade knows as well. Hopefully, we can meet with him (Tugade) to clarify our status with the MRT-3,” Pahate told The STAR.  

“This mess can hopefully still be fixed and we can work together with MRT-3,” she added. 

Pahate said their “woes” started when Chavez was appointed undersecretary for railways. 

Reacting to Chavez’s claims that the MRT-3 has improved after they terminated the contract with BURI, Pahate said she did not see any improvement with the train system, rather it has only worsened under the MTT’s watch. 

She added Chavez also did not provide solutions to the MRT-3 problems, unlike when they were still holding the maintenance work of the train system.

After Chavez’s resignation, Pahate said they will watch out for the next move of the DOTr as it might resort to an emergency procurement contract, which might worsen the MRT-3 problem, especially that there is still unfinished contract with the train system. 

BURI had bagged the three-year P3.8-billion maintenance contract with the MRT-3 during the administration of former Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) secretary Joseph Abaya. 

Tugade said he was surprised by the very sudden turn of events, noting that he was even working with Chavez the day before.

“We have been doing plans and strategies together, up and until yesterday. Even by texts as I was on sickbay,“ Tugade said.

Lawmakers lamented the decision of Chavez while Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary-general Renato Reyes said Chavez has been consistent in exposing the anomalies in various MRT contracts.

Pimentel said the government lost a competent and dedicated servant who also happened to be a member of the PDP-Laban party.

Pimentel, the president of PDP-Laban, revealed that it was he who recommended Chavez to be part of the Duterte government.

Pimentel speculated Chavez was probably disheartened by the numerous cases filed against him when he was just doing his job as the undersecretary responsible for the operations of railways, including the MRT-3.

Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, said she respects the decision of Chavez to resign in light of the continued problems of the MRT-3.

“I admire his sense of delicadeza although I doubt that that is the only reason that prompted him to resign. He seemed to be one of the DOTr officials who was determined to fully address all the issues plaguing the MRT. I recall he was instrumental in unearthing the persons involved in anomalies that caused these issues,” Poe said.

“However, it is time to evaluate the actions and the leadership of the DOTr as a whole in connection with how issues hounding the MRT have been addressed. These issues should be properly and expeditiously resolved despite Usec. Chavez’s resignation and especially considering the commuting horrors our people have to go through everyday,” she added.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan questioned the timing and motivation for the resignation of Chavez.

Pangilinan said Chavez resigned shortly after he caused the cancellation of the maintenance contract of BURI for the MRT-3. – Catherine Talavera, Marvin Sy, Alexis Romero, Rhodina Villanueva