Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade. INQUIRER.net file photo / YUJI VINCENT GONZALES
MANILA, Philippines–The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will be filing charges against anyone if investigation proves that negligence caused the collision of two trains in the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2), Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade vowed on Tuesday.
This development came after a parked LRT-2 train reportedly moved on its own and crashed into another train on the tracks between the Cubao and Anonas stations, injuring 34 people in the process, on Saturday night.
Tugade said he wants to get to the bottom of the incident so that he can “run after those who committed negligence.”
“Ang gusto ko, alamin dapat kung ano ang nangyari at sabihin sa akin nang diretsahan: Is this an accident? Is this a freak accident?” Tugade said in a statement.
(What I want is to know what really happened and tell me directly: Is this an accident? Is this a freak accident?)
“If so, say it and why? Was there negligence? If so, tell me so that I can run after those who committed negligence. Uusigin ko talaga kayo [I will definitely prosecute you],” he added.
Tugade added that the incident would serve as a “wake-up call” to look at the agency’s policies and procedures in the LRT-2 operations.
The transportion chief vowed that the department and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), which manages the LRT-2, is taking the incident seriously and making all efforts to prevent such incident from happening again.
“Tinitingnan ‘ho namin ito bilang wake-up call o lesson, nang sa gayon ay hindi na maulit,” Tugade said.
(We are considering this as a wake-up call or lesson in order that there will be no repeat of this.)
“Pinangako ‘ho namin ang comfort and convenience ng mga pasahero kaya’t dapat protektado ang mga mananakay. Dapat laging una ang kanilang kaligtasan at seguridad,” he added.
(We assure comfort and convenience for our passengers that is why they should always be protected. It should be their safety and security are our foremost priority.)
The LRTA has established a fact-finding committee to determine the cause of the collision.
READ: LRTA probes train crash
The management has also promised to shoulder all the medical expenses of the 34 injured passengers in the incident.
READ: LRTA shoulders medical expenses of LRT-2 collision victims
The operations of the whole LRT-2 route had been restored since Sunday. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)
READ: LRT-2 operations to resume within the day on Sunday