Gov’t, MRT sue activist over ‘MRT Bulok’ vandalism

SUAREZ spent two nights in detention in August NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRT-3) formally filed a complaint against writer-activist Angelo Suarez in the Quezon City prosecutor’s office on Wednesday for allegedly vandalizing one of its trains in late August.

The DOTr and MRT-3 representatives presented the same complaint that was earlier lodged against Suarez at the Quezon City Police District’s Kamuning station, where he was detained for two nights following his arrest on Aug. 24.

The complaint cited the cost of the damage at P380, covering the labor required and the acetone used to remove the graffiti.

Suarez is accused of writing “MRT Bulok (rotten)” using a marker pen on the overhead panel of an MRT train door, in violation of the city’s antivandalism ordinance which penalizes an offender with a P2,000 fine and a 25-day jail term.

While denying the charge, the Palanca Award-winning poet dismissed the legal action as “petty,” saying the problem-plagued MRT has bigger concerns to address, such as the safety of its trains and the quality of its service.

“It’s surprising that they continued with this case when in fact we all know that MRT is indeed rotten,” said Suarez, a convenor of Train Riders Network, a group advocating commuters’ rights.

According to Suarez’s partner, Donna Miranda, they already had a dialogue with Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade on Aug. 25 wherein the Cabinet official said the DOTr “would just let the case die a natural death.”

“So we were surprised to receive the subpoena,” Donna said.

In support of Suarez, Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes also found no sense in the MRT management’s complaint. “We’d like to know if Secretary Tugade is condoning this persecution,” he said.

Both parties are scheduled to appear in the prosecutor’s office on Oct. 12.