THE Aquino administration said it is ready to defend its decision to increase the fares for Metro Manila’s elevated train systems (LRT Lines 1 and 2 and MRT-3) before the Supreme Court.
This was the Palace reaction after the leftist Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Riles Laan sa Sambayanan (RILES) Network and the Train Riders Network (Tren) said they would file a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court today to seek a temporary restraining order against the fare increase.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma also appealed to those who will join the anti-fare hike protests to avoid obstructing commuters.
“We appeal to those who plan to join the protest action to take into consideration the over-all welfare of our citizens and not to obstruct traffic flow and be a nuisance to our commuters,” he said.
“The government respects the right of citizens to express their sentiments on the issue of fare hike in the LRT and MRT, including their reported plan to file a petition before the Supreme Court,” Coloma added.
The Palace official noted that lawmakers have supported the fare adjustment, saying it was an “exercise in political will.”
“Because of the delay in implementing the fare adjustment, previous administrations were not able to buy new coaches and upgrade the facilities of our mass transport systems,” Coloma said.
Members of the leftist youth group Anakbayan led a sit-down protest at the MRT North Avenue station yesterday as the fare hike took effect.
“No sane president will want to unjustly burden his people like this,” Anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said.
“The Aquino administration should be held accountable for approving these fare hikes despite the deteriorating state of our train lines and despite the fact that Filipinos cannot cope with these new and higher fares given the current economic situation,” he added.
MRT-3 fares increased from P15 to P28 for the 17-kilometer stretch from North Avenue Station in Quezon City to Taft Avenue Station in Pasay City.
For LRT-1 from Baclaran Station in Paranaque to Roosevelt Station in Quezon City, the maximum single journey fare increased to P30 while the fare for LRT-2 from Rizal Avenue Station in Manila to Santolan Staion in Pasig rose to P25.
“Not only is this fare hike a bad way to start the year, it is truly detestable, given that the current state of our train systems is far from being agreeable. President Aquino and his Cabinet are out of their minds if they think that the riding public will take these fare hikes lightly,” Crisostomo said.
In a radio interview Sunday, Senator Grace Poe attacked the LRT and MRT management for imposing a fare hike amid the deteriorating services to commuters.
She also slammed the authorities for imposing the hike on a weekend when there were no courts that could stop them.
“They have not been forthcoming about this,” Poe said.
Poe, a member of the Senate public services committee investigating the woes of train riders, said they would summon Abaya and officials of the Budget Department to answer questions about the fare hike.
The hearings would begin after the visit of Pope Francis, she added.
Also on Sunday, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said it would join a big labor coalition to support the RILES Network today to protest the fare hikes.
Alan Tanjusay, TUCP spokesperson, said the Nagkaisa Coalition, composed of 49 labor groups and workers’ organizations, is calling on Abaya to consider the welfare of the workers and to stop the rate increase.
The working poor will become poorer with the fare hike, he added. – By Joyce Pangco Panares With Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja
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