Nina ROY C. MABASA at ROMMEL P. TABBAD

Kinumpirma kahapon ng Malacañang ang paghahain ng kasong plunder laban sa siyam na dating miyembro ng Gabinete ni dating Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III kaugnay ng umano’y maanomalyang maintenance service contract ng Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-Line 3.

“We must stress that the great suffering of the riding public as result of the failure to deliver on the responsibilities of public office, such as the case of the current state of the MRT-3 system, carries consequences and that those accountable will be held liable,” sinabi ni Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Jr. sa mga mamamahayag sa press briefing sa Palasyo kahapon.

Ang kaso ay isinampa kahapon sa Office of the Ombudsman ni Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Legal Affairs and Procurement Reinier Yebra.

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Sinabi ni Roque na kinasuhan ng plunder sina dating Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, dating Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, dating Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, dating Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, dating Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, dating Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo, dating Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, dating Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, at dating Economic and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Kinasuhan din sina dating Transportation Undersecretaries Erwin Lopez, Rene Limcaoco, at Catherine Gonzales; dating MRT-3 General Manager Roman Buenafe, mga dating miyembro ng DoTC Bids and Awards Committee, mga ehekutibo ng Busan Universal Railways, Inc. (BURI), at si Marlo dela Cruz ng MRT.

Nobyembre 6 nang tuluyan nang kanselahin ng DOTr ang maintenance contract ng MRT sa BURI.

“In the height of injustice that Filipino taxpayers have to pay P54 million per month, on top of a P1.8 billion fixed fee for other services, to an unworthy contractor incapable of delivering the reliable system,” paliwanag ni Roque.

Nagharap ng kaso ang DOTr isang araw makaraang kasuhan ng mga militanteng grupo ng graft at paglabag sa Section 10 ng Government Procurement Reform Act si Abaya at 14 pang opisyal.

Oktubre nang kinasuhan din ng DOTr ng graft si Abaya kaugnay pa rin ng maintenance contract ng MRT.

SERBISYO SA MRT, AAYUSIN

Ayon kay Roque, nakausap niya si DOTr Secretary Arturo Tugade na nagsabing ilang “positive steps” na ang ginagawa upang mapabuti ang serbisyo ng MRT-3.

Kabilang sa mga ito, aniya, ang pagkuha ng matinong maintenance contractor, pagpapagawa ng mga bagong riles, at pagbili ng mga bagong bagon at bagong signaling system.

“They are in other words revamping almost completely the MRT,” ani Roque.

Bukod dito, nagsasagawa rin ang DOTr ng safety audit “to ensure the safety of the riding public.”