New LRTA Officer-in-Charge Paul Chua is not letting corruption within the agency go unchecked and files corruption complaints against current and former LRT-2 execs.
LAST December 7, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) filed corruption complaints against five former and incumbent LRT-2 officials, engineers, and private contractors linked to the purchase of P170.3-million worth of substandard equipment.
Among those charged are:
●Engr. Fernando Quiambao, a former LRTA Head Executive Assistant and Project Implementation Officer,
●Antonio R. Laigo, Jr., LRT-2 Operations Department Manager and designated representative to the PS-DBM Bids and Awards Committee,
●Engr. Julito Bernales, Manager at the Project Management Office for Rehabilitation Projects,
●Engr. Rommel Correa an LRTA engineer,
●and Engr. Robert Ruiz, a former LRTA employee.
Also included are Kempal Construction and Supply Corp. and the Joint Venture of Ma-an Construction, Inc., and IFE Elevators, Inc.
LRTA Officer-In-Charge Paul Chua, who took the position after the recent death of Administrator-General Reynaldo I. Berroya, said the move is in line with their anti-corruption efforts.
In a statement released on Monday, LRTA barred that Berroya had formed a fact-finding committee in December 2019 to investigate a number of million-peso contracts such as the following:
●P138-million contract for the supply, delivery, installation, and commissioning of conveyance systems awarded to Ma-an Construction, Inc. and IFE Elevators, Inc. JV;
●the P25.8 million contract for the supply and delivery of rolling stock diagnostic tools and equipment awarded to Kempal Supply and Construction Corporation-Dafang JV;
●and the P6.5-million contract for the supply and delivery of re-railing equipment awarded to the Kempal Supply and Construction Corporation.
Among the anomalous purchases being investigated are the 13 elevators installed at LRT-2’s Recto Station.
The required capacity under the contract is 9,000 passengers per hour but the installed escalators can only accommodate 6,000 passengers per hour.
Out of the 13 escalators installed, only one remains operational while the rest have broken down even before the expiration of the warranty period.
“We cannot afford to see our passengers especially the senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWD), and pregnant women suffering because of the wrongdoing of the LRTA officials and contractor”, Chua said.
Another is the re-railing equipment delivered by Kempal Construction that had labels identifying it to be from the Chinese CRRC Corp., but documents showed that the crate contained equipment from an Indian company, Bemco.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade has ordered the review of all LRT rehabilitation projects and supported the filing of appropriate charges against corrupt officials and contractors.
“This investigation has long been delayed. Initiate it now and let us make the culprits pay,” Secretary Tugade said.
Tags: #LightRailTransitAuthority, #LRT2, #graftandcorruption