Palace chides Robredo over MRT-3 remark

alacañang yesterday chided Vice President Leni Robredo over her remarks on the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) and stressed that the Duterte administration is doing its best to address the problem it inherited from the previous administration.

Robredo earlier said she hopes that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) filed charges against former government officials based on evidence and not just to look for a scapegoat.

“Dapat kung mag-file ng kaso, ito ay base sa ebidensya na mayroon talagang pagkakasala na ginawa (When they file a case, they should base it on evidence that there was really a misdeed),” Robredo aid.

“Hindi siya ginagawang dahilan para lang maghanap ng scapegoat para sa mga bagay na hindi nagagawa (I hope they are not using that just to look for an excuse for failure to address the issue),” she added.

According to Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, the Palace finds Robredo’s unfortunate and that the government is not trying to cover up its shortcomings.

“We find the Vice President’s remarks unfortunate. With all due respect to Vice President Robredo, the MRT-3 issue is not about covering up shortcomings,” Roque said in a statement Friday.

Roque said the administration has been dealing with the problem and President Duterte even apologized for the inconvenience the MRT mess has caused the riding public.

“The Administration has faced the MRT-3 mess squarely. The President has even apologized over a recent train mishap and transport officials admitted that while they cannot solve the problems overnight they are working double time to restore the convenience and reliability of the MRT-3 by getting a proven maintenance firm and buying needed parts,” the Palace official said.

Roque also hit the previous administration for “destroying” the MRT.

“We cannot deny the fact that these are cumulative problems that the administration inherited and the long-suffering commuters of Metro Manila have known for years how the past government destroyed the MRT,” he said.

Roque added that the filing of the plunder complaint against officials of the previous administration was to make them accountable.

“We cannot simply sweep the sins of incompetence and corruption under the rug with the harsh reality of half a million daily suffering riding public staring us in the face,” he added.

Last month, the DOTr filed plunder complaints against officials of the previous administration.