Vitangcol not being singled out in MRT graft case—Malacañang

Malacañang on Thursday said it had nothing to do with the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision to spare Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya from a case involving an anomalous contract.

Reacting to Al Vitangcol, who was sacked as Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) general manager in May last year, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said, “Wala pong kinalaman ang ehekutibo doon sa pagsasampa ng mga usapin laban sa kanya (The executive branch has nothing to do with the filing of cases against him).”

READ: Why spare Abaya? Vitangcol asks Ombudsman

Vitangcol, who was indicted for graft for his involvement in a $11.5-million MRT maintenance contract, complained that he was being singled out.

In his motion for reconsideration, Vitangcol said Abaya and other officials should also be held accountable.

Abaya is a close ally of President Benigno Aquino III.

Coloma said it is best for Vitangcol to raise his concerns to the Ombudsman.

Although the Fact Investigating Office of the Ombudsman charged Abaya and other transport officials over MRT contract irregularities, the preliminary investigation failed to find probably cause against the Secretary.

Vitangcol called it “selective justice.”

But Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who was appointed by Aquino, slammed those calling her partisan.

“I am apolitical,” she said in a press briefing last week.

Also indicted were Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corp. (PH Trams) incorporators Wilson De Vera, Arturo Soriano (Vitangcol’s uncle-in-law, and now the Provincial Accountant of Pangasinan), Marlo Dela Cruz, Manolo Maralit and Federico Remo.

All of them were accused of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for conspiring to award the MRT-3 maintenance contract to PH Trams without public bidding.

The Ombudsman said Vitangcol also “hid” his relations with Soriano, which would have been a reason to disqualify PH Trams.

READ: MRT fiasco: Vitangcol indicted for graft, Abaya spared