MALACAÑANG clarified on Monday that President Aquino was “just joking” in making a pledge that he and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya would volunteer to get ran over by a train if they fail to fulfill Aquino’s promise to improve and expand the Light Rail Transit (LRT) service to southern Metro Manila.
The promise was made during the 2013 election campaign. “Siguro lang unawain natin na sinabi iyon with all the good intention na maihatid kaagad ang benepisyo sa mga mamamayan kaya medyo pabiro ang statement na iyon,” Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. told reporters on Monday, even as he quickly added: “Pero sa lahat naman ng pagkakataon siniseryoso ang pagbibigay ng commitment na sinisikap ang pag-improve sa mga serbisyo publiko natin.”
The promise to extend the existing LRT Line 1 from Baclaran to Cavite by 2015 was made by Aquino during the 2013 mid-term campaign sortie in Cavite. Aquino was then campaigning for Liberal Party candidates in Cavite led by Gov. Ereneo Maliksi. Maliksi lost and has been appointed chairman of the Philippine Charity Sweeptakes Office.
“At pag hindi ho nangyari ito, nandyan ho si Secretary Abaya na nangangasiwa ng proyektong ito, dalawa na kaming magpapasagasa siguro sa tren,” Aquino told Caviteños two years ago, referring to the LRT extension project estimated to cost P60 billion. Abaya is also a Caviteño.
To drive home the point that he wanted to see the project completed in two years, Aquino added: “At siyempre, nananabik na po tayo sa taong 2015, hindi ho dahil isang taon na lang ako manunungkulan, kung hindi mapapabilis na ang biyahe mula Baclaran hanggang Bacoor, at madadagdagan din ng 250,000 pasahero ang maisasakay kada araw dahil sa LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension.”
Reminded of the unfulfilled pledge on Monday, Coloma admitted that Aquino was not really serious about getting ran over by a train with Abaya if the promised LRT Line 1 extension to Cavite is not fulfilled by 2015.
“In context, I think, what he [Aquino] really meant was seryoso ang gobyerno doon sa pagpapatupad ng programa. At kung titingnan ang larger picture, marami namang nailunsad na mga mass- transit projects, hindi lang iyong specific na LRT Line 1 extension. Pero nakagawa na rin naman ng progreso simula noon, kaya lang kung hindi nakumpleto maaaring may mga bottlenecks,” Coloma said, blaming possible flaws in the bidding process.
He explained that the Aquino administration is not inclined to “shortcut” the process. “Hindi naman puwedeng i-shortcut iyon, kinakaiilangan sundin talaga ang procurement law at ang bidding regulations. Minsan naman ang nakakaantala ay ang right-of-
way problems.”
Coloma pleaded for public understanding, insisting that the President’s pledge was made by Aquino during the 2013 Cavite campaign sortie “with good intention.”
He added that Abaya reported that the project was delayed owing to snags in bidding out the project.
Abaya also said the DOTC encountered problems in balancing the interests of the LRT commuters and the government guarantees on return of investments of private partners who will put up the project.
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Aquino never keeps his word.