MANILA, Philippines ? Senator Francis Escudero on Tuesday called on government to take over the Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRT) instead of spending millions of pesos on ?ghost riders.?

Escudero said his calculations indicate that the government shells out a subsidy of about P42 per passenger, computed against the amount of public funds funneled into the MRT.

?It is like paying for almost three riders more at the current fare?of the MRT, which on the average, is P14 per passenger. The government is paying for riders who are non-existent,? he said in a statement on Tuesday.

?The MRT has long been bailed out by the government. While its coaches are always full, its coffers are always empty,? Escudero said, noting the government spent P579 million in 2007 and P618 million in 2008 to subsidize the mass rail transit system.

For this year, P645 million has been earmarked for subsidies, he added.

To pay for the MRT?s arrears, Escudero said the government spent P2.2 billion in 2007, P2.45 billion in 2008, and is expected to spend some P1.19 billion this year.

Escudero said the government has to pay for what are essentially ?ghost riders? because of the ?high guaranteed rider-ship forecast? of the MRT at its inception.

Aside from these, Escudero said the MRT has a maintenance contract with a Japanese firm, which he described as ?onerous? compared to what the Light Rail Transit Authority pays for the upkeep of the two lines it runs.

He said the MRT has a high maintenance contract with a Japanese firm, which is onerous if compared with lower fees the LRTA is paying for the upkeep of its two lines.

?To top it all, MRT?s debt carries a high 12.5 percent to 15 percent annual interest rate,? Escudero said.

He said it would be better if the government simply took over and ran the MRT.

?If we own it, then let?s run it. And let it be a reminder that when it comes to private-public ventures, never again should we end up privatizing profits while debts are nationalized,? he said.