Former Transportation chief Joseph Emilio Abaya is set to appear before a Senate committee hearing on Monday to explain the deals the Transport Department entered into for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-3 during the previous administration.
According to Senator Grace Poe, Abaya has a lot of explaining to do as to why trains from Dalian Locomotive Corp. remain idle while the MRT system continues to experience glitches.
“‘Yung magiging susi sa pagkalap ng katotohanan, na sana magsabi na ng totoo, ay si [former] Secretary Abaya. Dahil siya ‘yung nag-apruba ng pag-order ng mga train na ito,” Poe, who heads the Senate committee on public services, told DZMM.
(The key to finding the truth is former Sec. Abaya, who will hopefully say the truth. Because he is the one who ordered the trains.)
For Poe, Abaya should be among the individuals charged in connection with the MRT problems as he was the head of the then Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
The senator noted that from the very beginning, many have expressed opposition to get train coaches from Dalian because it is not the company’s expertise. But Abaya insisted on it.
She said someone should be liable for the problems hounding the MRT which has been causing agony to the passengers for several years now.
“Kailangan kung sino man ang nagkasala diyan, naging pabaya, kumita nang di dapat, dapat makasuhan at mapanagot,” she added. “Kung di natin gagawin ‘yan lalakas ang loob ng mga kawatan.”
(Whoever is at fault, was negligent, who earned when he shouldn’t have, he should be charged and he should be held accountable… If we don’t do that, criminals will be encouraged.)
The inquiry by the Senate committee on public services is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. on Monday.
Poe said Abaya already confirmed his attendance
Story: ABS-CBN News
