Replacing MRT 3 general Al Vitangcol III is not enough. We, concerned commuters, want him to be held accountable for large-scale corruption, which includes serving as middleman for Pres. BS Aquino, and gross mismanagement of the MRT.
We fear that the Aquino administration, through Department of Transportation and Communication Secretary Joseph Abaya, ordered the replacement of Vitangcol to clear the latter of any accountability for being involved in corruption cases such as the $30-million extortion attempt targeting a train car manufacturer from the Czech Republic and the awarding of a P517.5-million service deal to his uncle in 2012-2013.
Vitangcol should also be held accountable for failing to solve the train system’s major problems. The priority he gave to the MRT’s contract with big capitalists for the train system’s maintenance has made every train ride a hell for us commuters. He allowed the hellish reign of private contractors over the MRT’s maintenance instead of pushing for decisive government intervention. Obviously, Vitangcol was more interested in pocketing money from contractors and getting money for his kamag-anaks.
We also condemn Pres. Aquino for being soft on Vitangcol despite the latter’s involvement in corruption cases and incompetence just because Vitangcol is one of the president’s Kamag-anak, Kabarilan at Kaklase (KKK). Aquino’s initial strong rejection of commuters’ demand for Vitangcol’s resignation proves that for this government, “daang matuwid” and “good governance” are mere rhetorics.
Aquino should also be taken to task for appointing Vitangcol as MRT 3 General Manager despite the latter’s obvious lack of knowledge of and capability for running the railway system. ###
*photo from Roy Lozano/GMANewsonline
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