DOTr vows to pursue plunder raps vs Abaya, et al. for MRT-3 mess

PLUNDER COMPLAINT. The Department of Transportation, through lawyers Mark Steven C. Pastor (left), Giovanni Z. Lopez and Reinier Paul R. Yebra, has filed plunder complaint against former Transportation Secretaries Manuel Roxas II and Joseph Emilio Abaya, and 28 others, before the Office of the Ombudsman in November 2017. —EDWIN BACASMAS

Despite the Ombudsman’s indictment order against former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya for graft, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Tuesday that it will still pursue plunder charges against the former public official and other individuals liable for the allegedly anomalous P4.2 billion Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) maintenance contract.

Lawyer Reinier Paul Yebra, DOTr undersecretary for legal affairs and procurement, said they would consult with the Office of the Solicitor General on their next course of action.

“Upon receipt of an official copy of the resolution, the DOTr will consult with the Office of the Solicitor General as it intends to pursue plunder charges against the indicted personalities, as well as include in the case other officials and personalities exculpated from the Resolution, in efforts to promote accountability and transparency,” Yebra said.

“We assure the public that the DOTr will get to the bottom of these anomalous contracts, and go after the people who sacrificed the welfare of MRT-3 riders in the name of personal interests,” the DOTr official stressed.

The Office of the Ombudsman announced on Monday the indictment of Abaya and 16 others over the irregular maintenance contract between the Busan Universal Rail Inc. (Buri) of the Filipino-Korean Busan Joint Venture (Busan JV) and the MRT-3.

Aside from Abaya, other former transportation officials who were ordered indicted by the Ombudsman were Undersecretaries Edwin Lopez, Rene Limcaoco, and Catherine Jennifer Francis Gonzales.

Moreover, the Ombudsman ordered the indictment of former MRT-3 officials, namely, General Manager Roman Buenafe, Assistant Secretary for Procurement Camille Alcaraz, bids and awards committee vice chair Ofelia Astrera, lawyer Charissa Eloisa Julia Opulencia, engineering division chief Oscar Bongon, and engineer Jose Rodante Sabayle.

Private citizens Eldonn Ferdinand Uy of Edison Development and Construction, Elizabeth Velasco of Tramat Mercantile Inc., Belinda Tan of TMI Corp. Inc., Brian Velasco of Castan Corp. and Antonio Borromeo, Jun Ho Hwang and Elpidio Uy of Buri were also ordered charged by the Ombudsman.

Meanwhile, those cleared from charges by the anti-graft body were former Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas and other Cabinet officials who served on the Government Procurement Policy Board—Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, Science Secretary Mario Montejo, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.   /kga