Sen. Nancy Binay INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The fare increase in the Light Rail Transit (LRT 1 and 2) and Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT) would have been prevented if the P4.5-billion fund intended for the procurement of additional trains did not go to the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), Senator Nancy Binay said on Monday.
“Kung napunta talaga sa tamang pupuntahan ang P4.5 billion na na-allocate para sa Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) na pambili ng dagdag na mga tren ay malamang walang fare increase ang MRT at LRT,” Binay said in a statement.
“Instead, the money went to DAP, which the Supreme Court had declared parts of it unconstitutional,” she said.
Citing documents submitted to her by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Binay said the DOTC surrendered to the DBM for use as DAP the P4.5 billion budget supposedly intended for the purchase of additional MRT passenger coaches.
“In 2012, the DOTC surrendered P4.5 billion allocated for purchasing additional cars for the MRT3 to the DAP. Sa ngayon, dilat at tirik ang mga mata ng commuters ng MRT dahil biglang naging bula ang pera na sana ay nagamit para ayusin ang serbisyo ng MRT,” she said.
Binay issued the statements as she expressed dismay over the LRT-MRT fare rate increase, which was only announced by the DOTC during the holiday season.
The move, she said, “betrays a lack of concern for the welfare and safety of ordinary citizens who ride the MRT every day.”
The senator also questioned the timing of the fare increase, as the national government had already allocated funds in the 2015 national budget for the improvement of the railway system.
“Binigla tayong lahat habang abala tayo sa paghahanda at selebrasyon ng Kapaskuhan at Bagong Taon,” Binay said.
“The recently approved 2015 General Appropriations Act already has a budget of P10.6 billion to improve the country’s railway systems, including the rehabilitation of LRT Lines 1 and 2 and subsidies to MRT,” she said.
Binay also pointed out that the newly approved Supplemental Budget provides almost P2 billion for the rehabilitation and capacity extension of the MRT and LRT, including the total replacement of the existing signalling system and the rehabilitation of escalators and elevators.
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