Malacañang on Tuesday asked the public for understanding following the delay of the implementation of Light Rail Transit (LRT) Cavite extension, which is supposed to connect Baclaran to Bacoor and provide service for about 250,000 passengers.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said that when President Benigno Aquino III promised in 2013 that the project would be completed in two years’ time, the bidding process was just about to take place.
“Noong binanggit ng Pangulo ‘yung paghahangad na magkaroon ng extension na katulad nito, ayon kay Secretary Abaya, binubuo pa lamang noong panahong ‘yon ‘yung bidding para sa proyekto at natapos o naganap ‘yung buong proseso hanggang sa pag-a-award noon lamang September 2015, nito lamang nakaraang Setyembre, at ito nga ay papangasiwaan na ng consortium ng Ayala at Metro Pacific na with partnership sa Macquarie Investments,” Coloma told reporters in a press briefing.
“At doon sa konsepto, sila ang magsasagawa ng operations and maintenance of the existing LRT Line 1 from Monumento to Baclaran; sila na rin ‘yung magsasagawa ng disenyo at ‘yung pagtatayo ‘nung extension from Baclaran to Bacoor. At meron pang ikatlong segment, from Bacoor to Imus, pagkatapos hanggang Dasmariñas, at ito naman ay inilahad na ng DOTC para sa public bidding kahapon lamang o noong makalawa,” he added.
READ: What happened to Aquino’s ‘ready to be run over by train’ quip?
During a campaign sortie of the Team PNoy slate in 2013 in Cavite, Aquino said he and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya were ready to be run over by train if the extension would not push through within two years.
“Maybe the two of us can be run over by a train if this project won’t materialize,” Aquino said in Filipino.
READ: Aquino ready ‘to be run over by train’ if LRT project misses 2015 deadline
Asked about Aquino’s remarks as the deadline nears, Coloma maintained that the President’s statement should put into context and not be taken in a literal sense.
“Baka naman mas lohikal o mas makatuwiran na hindi naman maging literal ‘yung interpretation natin, at unawain natin na gustong-gusto talaga ng Pangulo na mapahusay ‘yung serbisyo doon. Seryoso siya doon sa determinasyon na mabigyan ng isang mahusay na mass transport system,” Coloma said.
“Unawain lang ng ating mga kababayan na hindi ganoon kadali ‘yung pagbubuo ng ganyang proyekto ngunit dahil desidido ang pamahalaan ay buo naman ‘yung determinasyon na maipatupad ito at makumpleto ito,” he added.