Palace apologizes for sorry state of MRT, shuns ‘rush hour ride’ challenge

MRT train. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang apologized Saturday for the hardships suffered by MRT riders daily, ranging from the long queues and lack of trains to frequent outages, saying government officials did not have to ride the trains themselves to know the system was plagued with problems.

Palace spokeswoman Abigail Valte said on the government-run Radyo ng Bayan that even without having to take the challenge thrown by Netizens for the President and Cabinet members to try using the MRT themselves, government officials were cognizant of the problems hounding the MRT.

“That is why we are apologizing to our fellow Filipinos who have to take the MRT to get to their places of work. And we are asking for their patience while we are trying to improve the service of the MRT, especially since we are in the process of procuring new coaches for the MRT to increase its carrying capacity,” Valte said.

A number of social media users on Facebook and Twitter said government officials should take the MRT during rush hours without their security personnel and the media to cover their every step.

This was an apparent swipe at Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya who took the MRT last week but rode in the coach reserved for women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. He was seen in photos with his bodyguard holding an umbrella for him.

In contrast, Sen. Grace Poe was praised when she fell in line and rode the MRT without bodyguards and media in tow. Her media relations office and some of those who saw her posted photos online after her trip.

While Poe also had her share of online bashers, the senator got to know first-hand the travails of a regular MRT commuter such as defective tickets, long queues, and faulty escalators.

Poe said she decided to try the MRT experience for herself in preparation for a Senate inquiry on Monday on the state of public transport.

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