TRANSPORTATION Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya came out swinging against Vice President Jejomar Binay after the latter exposed the perilous state of the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) in his “true” State of the Nation Address (Sona).
In a statement, Abaya said that Binay’s tirades showed that the vice president does not provide solutions nor know the root of the problems plaguing the overburdened train system.
“Two things are clear from the Vice President’s speech: first, he does not have any solutions at all to MRT-3’s problems; and second, he does not even understand the root of the problem, which is the onerous BLT contract. This is proof that you cannot solve a problem that you do not understand,” Abaya said.
Abaya also hit Binay for “giving up” in finding solutions to the problems of the MRT-3.
“One who chooses to be blind to reality also loses the ability to hope for a better situation for the public – which may be why he has given up on finding solutions and calling MRT-3 trains ‘rolling coffins’,” he said.
In his “true” Sona, Binay hit the Department of Transportation and Communications for the inconveniences burdening the commuters of the MRT-3. He also said that a P4.5 billion budget supposedly earmarked for new coaches has not been utilized, four years after it was released.
“Napakahabang pila, sirang escalator, mabahong kubeta, kakaunti at siksikang bagon. At tuwing sasakay ang mga pasahero, ang taimtim nilang dasal, ‘Sana huwag magkaaberya. Sana makauwi nang buhay,'” Binay said before students and supporters at the Cavite State University.
(Long lines, broken escalator, stinky toilets, cramped train coaches—those are the things that face the commuters every day. When passengers ride the MRT-3, they are praying that they will arrive in their homes safely.)
However, Abaya belied the claims made by the vice president, saying that the DOTC has already purchased 48 new train cars, procured 7,000 new rail tracks and initiated renovation of escalators and toilets.
Lastly, Abaya asked Binay to face corruption allegations filed against him.
“As brotherly advice to the Vice President, we suggest that he also fully cooperate with investigations into his alleged corruption before the Senate, the House, and the Office of the Ombudsman – and to tell the truth,” the transportation secretary said.
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