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[av_heading heading=’Palace denies covering up shortcomings on MRT ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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MANILA – Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque described as “unfortunate” the statement of Vice President Leni Robredo on the filing of graft charges against officials of the previous Aquino administration over the Manila Metro Rail Transit (MRT) mess.
Robredo earlier expressed hope that ex-Aquino administration officials charged over the mess would not be used as “scapegoats” for the failure of the Duterte administration to fix the system.
“With all due respect to Vice President Robredo, the MRT-3 issue is not about covering up shortcomings. The administration has faced the MRT-3 mess squarely,” said Roque.
The spokesman said President Rodrigo Duterte apologized for the inconvenience brought about by constant MRT glitches.
While officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) acknowledged that the MRT-3 mess could not be fixed overnight, they were “working double time to restore the convenience and reliability of the MRT-3 by getting a proven maintenance firm and buying needed parts,” stressed Roque.
He then pointed out that the problems besetting the railway system were inherited from the previous administration.
“The filing of the plunder complaint against officials of the previous administration was to make them accountable,” according to Roque.
These officials, he said, facilitated the negotiated procurement of long-term maintenance contracts to BURI which, according to DOTr, “turned the (department into) a bottomless cash cow entering into one anomalous procurement project.’”
DOTr earlier filed plunder and graft complaints against former Interior secretary Mar Roxas, former Budget secretary Florencio Abad, former Transportation secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, former Finance secretary Cesar Purisima and former MRT general manager Roman Buenafe over the P3.8-billion MRT-3 maintenance contract./PN
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