LRT: It was costume party, not lavish party

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“We operated within what is allowed.”

Light Rail Transit administrator Honorito Chaneco issued the statement to dispute criticisms that the agency threw a lavish party during its 35th anniversary.

In a telephone interview with INQUIRER.net, Chaneco begged to disagree that the event was extravagant, saying that the agency only operated within its means.

He said the agency held its anniversary party at Manila Grand Opera Hotel in Manila on July 10 with the 1920s-era inspired attires.

“It might looked lavish because of the costumes,” he said.

He said the party, the venue and the food were simple, adding that they conducted awarding rites to its officials and employees at the hotel.

He said it was only now that the agency held a party outside its office.

On Thursday, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) slammed the Light Rail Transit Administration (LRTA) for its “lavish” costumed-themed party to celebrate its anniversary amid the problems plaguing the LRT, the most recent was the leaking roofs of some LRT-1 coaches.

“We are not questioning the right of the administration to throw a party. We leave it to the riding public to judge the propriety of such actions during these most difficult times,” Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes said in a statement.

Reyes said that instead of holding exclusive costume party, “the 35th year of the LRTA should have been an occasion to look back at the achievements and evaluate the state of the train system that has now been privatized yet continues to suffer serious maintenance and operations issues.”

But Chaneco said their anniversary should not be connected to the LRT problems.

“Magkaiba naman yun. It is not as if we’re not doing anything,” the LRT official said.

He said the LRTA has been addressing LRT’s problems, adding that the train’s roofs have already been patched up.

He said only the “old trains” were found to have leaking roofs.

The militant group, however, said the LRTA “should give the highest priority to the operations of the train system and the welfare of the commuters.”

“With his ’20′s inspired party, it’s as if LRTA’s Chaneco is rewarding himself for the inefficiency of his administration,” Bayan said.