MANILA, Philippines ? The proposed increase in the fare of both Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) could be the first test to President Benigno Aquino III on making a choice between what?s right or popular, a lawmaker said Thursday.

?This will be a test of will of the President. Do you want to be right or popular?? Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez said at the Serye news forum.

Proposals have been raised to increase the fare in these two transit lines operating in Metro Manila as part of measures to ease the bleeding of the government?s coffers.

For the MRT, reports have said the fare could increase to as much as P25, from the current P15 for the North Avenue to Taft Avenue route.

?We know this proposal is not popular among the public. It will raise howl among the passengers. If you want to cut government expenditures, government should stop subsidizing it, but that means passengers will pay higher, which will make [Aquino] unpopular. At the end of the day, it?s a call for this administration to do what?s best on this issue,? Suarez said in a separate phone interview.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose De Jesus had said the government spends more than P5 billion a year for MRT operations and maintenance.

Suarez said during the term of Aquino?s predecessors, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, proposals were also brought out to increase the MRT fare, but this did not push through because of the public?s opposition.

Privatization would be a ?good move? to stop the bleeding of the MRT and LRT. He said this would be viable for both the private sector and the government, since revenues can be generated from its operations.

LRT Line 1 runs from Edsa to Baclaran in Pasay City and carries about 500,000 passengers daily while Line 2, which plies the Recto to Santolan route, ferries less than 300,000 people every day. MRT line meanwhile carries about 450,000 daily.