Poe to spill beans on MRT-3 mess

Senator Grace Poe said she will name those who are supposedly responsible for the worsening state of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) as the Senate resumes its investigation on the troubled rail system next week.

The Senate Committee on Public Services, chaired by Poe, will continue probing the MRT-3 mess on February 20, where she will name more personalities who should be blamed for the frequent glitches.

"Sa aming pagdinig, ilalabas na namin talaga yung mga may kasalanan nito kaya tayo nagka-abot-abot sa ganito (In our hearing, we will expose those who should be blamed why it has led to this)," Poe said.

Poe was shocked to have learned that only three MRT-3 trains ran early morning of Wednesday, February 14.

She reiterated that the defective MRT-3 service resulted from the negligence and alleged corruption of concerned officials.

The public services panel in May last year probed the R3.8-billion procurement of light rail vehicles (LRVs) which remain unused due to incompatibilities with the MRT-3 system, where former Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) officials were grilled.

The DOTC, under then Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, in 2016 purchased 48 LRVs from Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stocks Co. of China.

The coaches, however, were found to be incompatible with the MRT-3’s maintenance facilities and signaling system, and was also found to be too heavy to be supported by existing for rails.