Poe to DOTr: Stop blaming past administration, ‘prove yourselves ’

Sen. Grace Poe (File photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The management of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) should stop pinning the blame to the past administration on the persistent issues hounding the train line, Senator Grace Poe said on Friday.

“Huwag kayong makukuntento sa pagsisi lang sa nakaraang administrasyon. Kailangan na rin na patunayan din ninyo ang inyong sarili sapagkat lagpas na rin kayo ng isang taon diyan at wala pa kaming nakikitang konkretong mga hakbang,” Poe said in an interview over DZMM radio.

(Do not be satisfied in blaming the past administration. You need to prove yourselves because you’ve been in office for over a year now and we haven’t seen any concrete steps to address the issues.)

“Ako ay nakikisimpatya, alam ko si Usec. Chavez masipag yan pagdating dito sa ekplanasyon dito na nangyayari sa MRT. Pero nag-iisa lamang siya. Siguro dapat din si Sec. Tugade itulak yung ibang mga kasamahan niya na kumilos-kilos na,” she also said.

Powe was referring to Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez and DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade.

On Thursday, an MRT-3 train disengaged while on its way to Buendia station, prompting dozens of passengers to walk along the railways. No one has been hurt in the incident.

As a response to the incident, the MRT-3 management changed its operating hours from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. to give enough time for the inspection of the trains before running.                         /kga