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What will be the outcome of the latest senate hearing wherein the DOTC and MRTC are spreading the truth? Will it give positive result for the riding public or another battle is coming?

The senators present in the hearing know how to throw punches to the DOTC Secretary Emilio Abaya with a twists. It’s a questioning that makes Jun Abaya releases his ever-ready answers; defending his stature that always been amazingly correct. Is he telling the truth?

If The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Jun Abaya had done his part excellently last 2012, wherein he terminated the contract of Sumitomo Corporation – the maintenance provider of MRT3 train system – maybe, train breakdowns are not possible today. And because Sumitomo increased its service rates from $1.4 million a month to $2 million, prompting DOTC to terminate deal with the Japanese contractor.

Likewise, because of this contract termination and a quickie action to engage PH Trams as maintenance provider of MRT3, it makes the problem comes closer to a more train system breakdowns until now under APT Global.

At the senate hearing, MRTC’s Bob Sobrepeña pointed out those problems only arose after the DOTC terminated the contract and Sumitomo had a "single point responsibility" to design, build, and maintain the trains. The Sumitomo handled everything including parts and service. Nothing else has to be bought by the government or the private sector. He defended the company, saying Sumitomo really needed additional funds to overhaul the trains.

MRTC repeatedly proposed the procurement of new trains as early as 1999, but the government failed to act on its proposals. The last proposal to the government was in 2007, but since all of these were not acted upon, we reiterated another proposal to provide 48 cars, capacity expansion, upgrade of the MRT-3 system, in 2007. At this year, the DOTC began to question us as to why we were buying new cars. The Department of Transportation and Communications had begun to request for second-hand trains, instead of new ones. MRTC do not approve for the second hand coaches for the reason of incompatibility.

The Senate hearing was prompted by various resolutions seeking shed light on why train breakdowns are more pronounced as months passed by. The truth came out through MRTC Bob Sobrepena’s when asked about the status of MRT3. He deliberately told the senators that DOTC was violating the Build-Lease-Transfer (BLT) Agreement that the MRT Holdings filed an arbitration case in Singapore.

The latest news at present is that MRT3-EDSA will be closed for renovation of the whole train system. The works must be done daily with 100% workers participation. While engineering and maintenance people will put forward for this purpose.

The DOTC and MRTC must jointly provide help with this plan to uplift the MRT3 train system for the good of the riding public. Maybe, this is the time that the fare will increase to augment with the new development. Moreover, this can be applied, but there are still Filipinos who will not approve for this plan. So, the riding public will use buses as their temporary transportation along EDSA.

Government will find solutions for MRT3 because “for the good of the riding public,” but, if MRTC has other interest and won’t cooperate for this plan?

Let’s wait and see for the continuation of the MRT3 story.

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