Abaya will retain Roxas team at DOTC

DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya. LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — Incoming Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya on Thursday assured that he will retain his predecessor’s team for a “seamless transition” as a Cabinet official.

Abaya told reporters that in a recent meeting he found the current team at the department efficient and had first-hand knowledge of plans laid out by outgoing Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas.

“I’ve seen how they operate and they’re good,” he said, assuring workers of the Department of Transportation and Communications that will not lose their jobs.

He said that he felt it was a disservice to the people if his transition into office would be marred by the termination of his predecessor’s employees.

“The transition will be as seamless as possible,” Abaya maintained, saying he will continue plans Roxas will leave behind.

He said that the fare increase for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) will go ahead as Roxas has earlier stated.

The fare hikes were suspended early this year due to the clamor for cheaper modes of transportation by residents of Metro Manila.

The government is currently subsidizing around P55 per train rider. Roxas said the government will be decreasing the subsidy to allocate the money for provincial projects.

Abaya dismissed fears that the MRT and LRT will no longer be patronized if their fares will cost the same as that of the public utility bus. He said that it was logical for the public to choose the faster modes of transport, which are the trains.

He also assured that infrastructure projects of the government will be free of anomalies. Abaya said that such irregularities “will not happen during Aquino’s term.”

Asked whether he was excited to lead the DOTC, Abaya said that he saw the task as “a continuation of public service–exciting in a way because it’s my first time in the Executive.”

“I see it as a lot of work but I also see it as quite gratifying because here in Congress  we decide on something … its impact on the lives of people could be direct or indirect–could be to your constituency, very limited. But a Cabinet secretary definitely is a higher level of accountability…(whose) decisions are felt much more by the people,” he added.

Roxas and Abaya have yet to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments, a step which the President said was integral in allowing the incoming Cabinet officials to take over the agencies recently assigned to them.

For now, the Department of the Interior and Local Government is presently being led by officer-in-charge Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. while Roxas has taken steps to introduce Abaya to officials and staff of the DOTC.