Bayan questions Singson’s chairmanship of LRT-1 operator
Former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO/Noy Morcoso
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Thursday questioned former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson’s appointment as CEO of private company operating the Light Rail Transit (LRT-1).
Singson confirmed in an earlier Inquirer article that he has rejoined the private sector as head of the Light Rail Manila Corp (LRMC).
He joined the company, which is controlled by the Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp., last month.
Singson, before heading the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), was president of Maynilad Water Services Inc., a unit under Metro Pacific.
READ: Ex-DPWH head Singson takes over LRT-1 operator
“As DPWH secretary, Singson was a board member of the government’s LRTA (Light Rail Transit Authority) that awarded the LRT1 privatization to LRMC, the same company he now chairs,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said in a statement.
“There are certainly some questions as to the propriety and conflicts of interests regarding Singson’s stint as ex-officio LRTA board member and his current position as LRMC President and CEO. It’s as if he has just been rewarded with a post in a private company, after he awarded it a contract,” he said, adding that there might also be legal issues because of Singson’s new post.
Reyes also pointed out that Ayala Corp. executive director Noel Kintanar is now Undersecretary for Rails of the Department of Transportation.
“It’s a perverted game of musical chairs. After one’s stint in government, one goes back to business. After a stint in business comes a post in government. You don’t have to be an engineer to figure out what interests drive these people,” Reyes said.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier named Kintanar among the transportation undersecretaries who supposedly have conflicts of interest. He said Kintanar, Bobby Lim and Raoul Creencia should be dismissed since they may use their positions to negotiate contracts with their former companies.
READ: Alvarez wants 3 transpo execs sacked for conflict of interest
Reyes said Kintanar could easily be re-employed by Ayala and use his new connections inside the government “to serve private business interests.”
“Singson meanwhile is expected to use all his government connections, especially with the DPWH and DoTr, to serve LRMC’s interests. This is worrisome as there are many questionable and onerous provisions in the LRT1 privatization deal, including sovereign guarantees,” he said. RAM/rga
