Members of UFCC stage a lie-down rally outside the Supreme Court to protest the MRT and LRT fare hike./Tetch Torres-Tupas, INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – The petitions seeking to declare as illegal the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) fare hike are mounting.
In two separate petitions, United Filipino Consumers and Commuters, Inc. (UFCC) represented by its President Rodolfo Javellana Jr. and the Bayan Muna asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the fare hike.
At the same time, both petitioners also urged the high court to declare as unconstitutional Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Department Order 014, which approved the fare hike.
“Petitioners contend that Respondent DOTC does not have jurisdiction to approve fare increases because there is no law that confers such jurisdiction to the DOTC,” the petition filed by Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares, Carlos Zarate together with Anthony Ian Cruz, Imelda Luna and Carl Ala stated.
Assuming that DOTC has jurisdiction to issue the Department Order, which approved the fare increase, it is still void because the rights of the commuters have been violated for lack of public consultation.
“The petitioners would have demanded an oral hearing and cross-examination of witnesses, parties and resource persons and effectively opposed the rate hike. They would have carried out extensive disclosure and discovery remedies…But petitioners, apparently by design, were deprived by the respondents these fairness and participatory mechanisms. Worse, the petitioner and the public were pushed to the ropes to ensure that they could not have had or at most had limited means to fight back,” petitioners said.
On the other hand, consumer group UFCC questioned why the government would want to increase fares of both MRT and LRT when Congress has “allocated billions of people’s money in the 2015 General Appropriations Act.”
“It is worthy to note that under the P22.4-billion proposed supplemental budget for 2014, Congress has allotted P1.2 billion and P727.6-million for the rehabilitation of MRT 3 and LRT Lines 1 and 2 respectively. Congress has also realigned P9-billion of the P53.9-billion intended for the MRT 3 buyout in the P2.6-trillion national budget for 2015 for the railway system’s repair and rehabilitation.”
“With all due respect…what are all these billion peso funds allotted by Congress for,” UFCC asked.
There are already four petitions against the MRT, LRT hike. Last Monday former Iloilo Representative Augusto Syjuco and Bayan filed two separate petitions.
Under the new rates, passengers of LRT Line 1 from Baclaran in Pasay to Monumento in Caloocan City and vice versa must pay P30 for single journey tickets and P29 for stored value tickets, from P20 fare.
Passengers of the newer LRT Line 2 from Recto in Manila to Santolan in Pasig and vice versa must pay P25 for single journey tickets and P24 for stored value tickets, from P15 while those taking up the MRT 3 from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City and vice versa must pay P28 from P15 for stored value and single journey tickets.
Aside from Abaya, also named as respondents in the petition are LRTA Administrator Honorito Chaneco, MRT 3 Officer-in-Charge Renato San Jose and the MRT Corporation and the Light Rail Manila Consortium.
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