Robredo to admin: Don't use Roxas, Abaya et al. as 'scapegoat' ~SHARE

Last Wednesday, November 30,2017, Vice President Leni Robredo told the Duterte administration not to use officials of the previous leadership to cover up for its shortcomings.

By saying so, Robredo is insinuating that the past administration did a great job in handling the MRT. The MRT mess started during the administration of the former President B.S. Aquino when the maintenance contract was transferred from the experienced Sumitomo to the inexperience BURI.

So where in the world or in the universe did Robredo ever get that idea that the current MRT problems are caused by the shortcomings of the Duterte administration?

Robredo made the comments after the Department of Transportation filed plunder and graft complaints against several top officials of the Aquino administration over the problematic MRT-3 P3.8-billion maintenance contract.



The Vice-President said,

"Ako, mahirap magparatang, pero sa akin, kapag may nagkasala, tama lamang na sampahan ng kaso. 

Iyong atin lang ninanais, sana iyong pagsampa ng kaso ay base sa datos na maayos. Hindi siya ginagawang dahilan para lang maghanap ng scapegoat para sa mga bagay na hindi nagagawa,"

She also said,

"Dapat kung mag-file ng kaso, ito ay base sa ebidensya na mayroon talagang pagkakasala na ginawa. Ang nakakatakot lang, baka ginagawa ito para magpasa ng blame sa iba. Ito iyong dapat hindi pinapayagan,".

Among those charged by the DOTr were former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and former MRT General Manager Roman Buenafe.



Responding the insinuations of Robredo, the Presidential Spokesperson responded by saying:

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. 

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. 

However, 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. 

The filing of the plunder complaint against officials of the previous administration was to make them accountable. 

These officials facilitated the negotiated procurement of long-term maintenance contracts to BURI, which per the Supplemental Complaint Affidavit filed by the DOTr, “turned the DOTC as a bottomless cash cow entering into one anomalous procurement project.” 

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.