Case vs MRT vandalism a waste of gov’t resources – commuters group

MANILA, Philippines – A commuters’ welfare group slammed the formal complaint filed against one of its members for his vandalism of a Metro Rail Transit – 3 (MRT3) train on Wednesday, September 28.

The Train Riders Network (TREN) described the case against poet and activist Angelo Suarez as not only a form of harassment but also a “waste of government resources.”

“Authorities like (Department of Transportation) DoTr-MRT3 General Manager Roman Buenafe waste precious government resources to make protestors appear like criminals, yet it is their own neglect of public utilities that should be deemed criminal,” the group said in a statement following the filing of the case.

Suarez appeared before the Quezon City Hall of Justice on Wednesday in compliance to a court order on the case filed.

Last August, Suarez was detained at the Station 10 of Quezon City Police District after writing “MRT bulok” (The MRT is rotten) in one of the trains that passed by the Quezon Avenue Station.

He has been known to express his frustrations over the faulty transit system online. His open letter to the MRT management last 2014 also became viral on Facebook.

Damages for vandalizing the public property amounts to as much as P380, said TREN Spokesperson James Relativo.

The group, thus, pressed that the officials exert their efforts and monetary resources into the delivery of transport services to the public.

“Instead of pressuring their own security forces to find and detain protesters who cry ‘MRT bulok!’ to describe the rotten state of this train line, the DoTr-MRT3 should instead demand that the [DOTr] under Sec. Arthur Tugade review the onerous and lopsided BLT contracts the government had gotten into with the private sector. 

Operations of the MRT has failed for several instances. This includes the daily struggle of Metro Manila dwellers to commute to their work given the congestion of train users. (READ: On the MRT: A capacity conundrum) 

The MRT-3 has committed to resolving these issues but solutions are still underway with the management’s failure to enter into bidding contracts under the previous administration. (READ: Ex-MRT chief Vitangcol blames Roxas for MRT contract deal mess) – Rappler.com