MRT problems started during Roxas’ tenure—Poe

Mar Roxas and Senator Grace Poe. FILE PHOTOS

The MRT 3 mess started during the time of then Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas and the problems persisted even after his successor took over, Senator Grace Poe said on Monday.

But Poe, lest she be accused of politicking, said she was not keen yet on calling on Roxas to the Senate committee on public services investigating the alleged anomalous deals that the government entered into during the past administration.

Poe and Roxas were rivals during the May 2016 presidential election.

“I am convinced that during their time they dropped the ball. And I also am convinced that Sec. Abaya should not have allowed it to continue or persist during his time,” she told reporters when asked if she was convinced that Roxas should be called to the Senate probe.

READ: Neglect of Roxas, Abaya led to MRT woes, says Vitangcol

The senator was referring to former Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, who replaced Roxas at the then Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

During the hearing, Poe asked about the role of a certain Marlo dela Cruz, an alleged Liberal Party (LP) stalwart, who was connected with all three maintenance providers — PH Trams, APT Global and Busan Universal Rail Incorporated or Buri that were awarded contracts during Abaya’s time.

Asked if he would call Roxas to the hearing, Poe said: “Sa ngayon, hindi pa natin iniisip. Alam mo pinag-iingatan ko na huwag sasabihing pulitika ito pero nakikita talaga na ‘yung isang incorporator na hindi dumating ngayon, na pinapa-subpoena ko, si Marlo Dela Cruz, ay talagang kasama siya sa mga nananalo sa mga bidding na ‘yung kanyang kumpanya bagong-bago, bagong incorporate, napakaliit ng kapitalisasyon, ang meron lamang siya ay koneksyon doon sa mga nakaraang nakaupo sa DOTC.”

(Right now, we are not thinking about that. You know, I am avoiding this to be branded just as a political move, but I can see that the incorporated whom I subpoenaed but did not arrive, Marlo dela Cruz, had his company benefit from the bidding, even if it was just newly incorporated and had little capital. All he had to show for was his connection to DOTC officials.)

Abaya earlier admitted during the hearing that he did not know PH Trams was just two-months old and had a paid up capital of P625,000 only when the contract was awarded to it in 2012.

Pressed about inviting Roxas to the hearing, the senator said she would first try to get the answers from other resource persons before considering the attendance of the former Secretary.

“Kunin natin dun sa nag-apruba talaga nito na pwede naman na magsabi kung kinakailangan ba siyang ipatawag. Pero kung paiikutin lamang, mabuti pa siguro the record would speak for itself, what has been stated here in this hearing,” Poe said.

(Let’s ask the one who approved this if we really need to have him summoned. But if we will just go round in circles, then it’s better for us to just let the record speak for itself, which has been stated here in this hearing.) IDL/rga

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