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Blaming each other is not an option for DOTC and MRTC in giving services to the public through the MRT3 train system along EDSA. Likewise, corruption of public officials is not the primary mission in leading the Philippine government.

Majority of Filipinos knows the strategies of some politicians who only valued their vested interest while doing their job in the government. They molded their lives through dealing negatively because of the huge amount of money involves.

There’s a saying that, “Chaos gives bad people to live invisibly or saintly.” For sure, they wanted that way to juggle their ambitions and personalities direct to Hell.

Let’s take a look the case of never-ending chaos brought about by this MRT3 Project along EDSA. The PPP movement is not working here wherein squabbling over the Maintenance and Operation didn’t give positive result to the riding public. It’s really a problematic notion that privatization cannot pursue the course because of public intervention. The MRT3 was originally tasked to MRTC, of course the maintenance of MRT3; the DOTC, over the objections of MRTC, took over the maintenance of MRT3 by selecting, appointing and contracting with its preferred maintenance contractor/s, PH Trams-CB&T and Global-APT, from 2012 onwards.


A recent statement of the MRTC Board indicate that DOTC officials have been lying through their teeth in unduly blaming its private partner for this train system’s fiasco and hiding the fact that this department took over the MRT3 maintenance in 2012. MRTC has written Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) numerous letters about the resulting problems in the operations of MRT3 and demanded an explanation from DOTC. The DOTC has not answered any of those letters. But wasn’t it DOTC which took over the maintenance work in 2012 after dumping longtime contractor Sumitomo and “requested” MRTC to surrender its job of selecting the O&M service provider, after which DOTC awarded an interim contract to an unqualified and undercapitalized company through a negotiated arrangement instead of the mandatory public bidding?

DOTC has totally shut out MRTC from the business of selecting and overseeing the work of MRT3’s O&M operators since 2012, when it surprisingly dumped the train system’s longtime maintenance provider TESP-P/Sumitomo Corp. of Japan in favor of PH Trams-CB&T and, later, APT Global. MRT3’s dismal service started only when PH Trams-CB&T and then APT Global took over from Sumitomo as O&M operators.

MRTC and its mother firm MRT Holdings (MRTH) have actually submitted five capacity-expansion proposals to acquire additional LRVs from the time the DOTC and MRTC sealed their build-lease-transfer agreement in 1999.

DOTC has been accused of violating the original 1999 BLT a number of times. One instance was when it chose PH Trams-CB&T and APT Global as O&M operators along with Dalian Locomotive as LRV supplier, all without prior review and consent from MRTC as provided in the accord. The second one involved non-payment of economic rental payments (ERPs) plus staffing and administrative costs to MRTC, as well as real property taxes (RPT) to host-local government units (LGUs).

MRTC has repeatedly informed the DOTC of its readiness and willingness to purchase additional trains, has told the DOTC of its readiness and willingness to procure the O&M contract after the 2012 expiration of Sumitomo’s contract, has cited the need for a technical audit by an independent third party to assess the safety of the train system; has suggested improvements in the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the O&M contracts awarded to the interim maintenance providers to safeguard the government and riders against foul-ups; and has alerted the DOTC to problems cited by then-outgoing contractor Sumitomo, such as passenger overload and the shortage of spare parts for the train signaling and automated ticket-collection systems, to no avail.

Now we know why DOTC is only now thinking of suing MRTC after years of neglect they are blaming the owner for. It will backfire on them and the true incompetent will be exposed. And here they come claiming they will rescue us by taking over the MRT3. It's all posturing because while they have the money to buy out the government shares that will leave nothing left for private shareholders.

And DOTC executives have to think carefully their plan to sue MRTC. After all, seven of the 11 member members of the board are government officials which means, that government is running the show. Most of the board directors come from Development Bank of the Philippines and the Land Bank of the Philippines, with an LBP director as chairman-president, because these state-run banks own a combined 80-percent economic interest in MRTC.

We should always defend people who manage the Philippine resources and extend total services for the good of all Filipinos. The political arena is not a milking cow for politicians. We should erase the bad elements in the political system and penalize people who are not serving our country. They only survive in getting wealth through government contracts.

We cannot achieve development until these dirty politicians and corruptions are removed from our political system. The past gave much misery to Filipino people; it’s our turn to straighten up for good of the majority.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A freelance writer who meticulously structured and maintained blogs just for you:A LIFE SO FAR AWAYand my other blog:OFW: THIS IS MY LIFE AND STORY Thank you for your valuable time. Follow my business & writings and you'll find what life's meant to be.