MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Senator Raffy Tulfo will reportedly schedule an investigation after a sine-dine adjournment to look into the 48 express trains that are not being used by the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)3 due to unresolved incompatibility issues in the train system.
Based on the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, those responsible for the mess should be held accountable.
He made the statement after he inspected the controversial trains purchased in 2017 and gathering dust at the MRT-3 Depot in North Avenue, Quezon City.
According to Tulfo, the 48 Chinese-made Dalian trains costing PHP3.7 billion are left unused and covered in dust when they were delivered in 2017.
The senator also said that the Aquino administration was aware from the beginning that the specifications of Dalian’s wagons is incompatible and non-compliant with the MRT system in the country, but it still insists on continuing the contract and accepting its delivery.
Meanwhile, some individuals were charged before the Ombudsman because of the controversy in which Tulfo pointed out that the cases were dismissed.
The senator added that if our government tries to use and operate the Dalian trains, the government will have to throw up another pile of money that will cost two billion pesos per year just for maintenance.
He also said that instead of spending a large amount of money for the maintenance of the broken trains, he suggested that the Department of Transportation renegotiate the contract to return the trains and return the amount spent for it.
As Congress resumes sessions on July 22.