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작성일 : 11-01-13 18:39
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Manila cops prepare for protests vs LRT, MRT fare hike
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DLSAUILC
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The police in Manila have taken steps to deal with protests against the fare hikes in the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) systems.
A report on dzBB radio on Thursday said Manila Police District (MPD) head Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla reminded his men to exercise maximum tolerance and vigilance.
Rongavilla said the protests are expected to last until at least February, when the LRT Authority (LRTA) holds public hearings on the fare hike.
Several groups have questioned the fare hike, which the government said was necessary to divert to other basic services part of the public funds used to subsidize LRT and MRT fares.
Groups protesting the fare hikes have already launched a signature campaign and pickets to register their opposition.
On the other hand, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) may find itself being haled to court over the fare hikes in the LRT and MRT.
'Great train robbery'
The militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) earlier branded the proposed 56 percent fare hike as a "great train robbery" because it will have "far-reaching effects on the pockets of some 1.2 million combined LRT and MRT commuters."
Bayan, one of the groups opposing the fare hike, said the procedures for the fare hike were "highly questionable."
“We also reserve the right to question the conduct and procedures of the public consulation and take the issue to court if necessary. The procedures for this fare hike are highly questionable," Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said in an article posted on the Bayan website.
Reyes said Bayan will also participate in the scheduled public hearings on the LRT and MRT fare hikes to be held on February 4, 5 and 8.
The hearings will be held at the LRT-2 depot in Santolan, Pasig City.
Still, Bayan said it has serious questions and reservations about the conduct and nature of the consultations.
“We have been informed by the Light Rail Transit Administration of the schedule of the consultations and we plan to file our formal opposition to the rate hike. However, the DOTC and LRTA should provide consumer groups and all interested parties with the actual basis of the computations for the new rates, as well as any relevant information and studies they conducted on determining the new rates," Reyes said.
So far, Bayan said the DOTC has only publicly released a new fare matrix and has not provided the media with the actual basis of the computations.
The group said it has already requested additional documents from the DOTC and LRTA.
The new MRT fare matrix has also yet to be released, it noted.
Bayan also noted there are no published guidelines or rules of procedure for the conduct of public hearings particularly for LRT/MRT fare adjustments.
“From the initial information we obtained, the ‘consultations’ on February will only be a public forum. The LRTA will give a presentation and the interested parties will listen. The questions by the participants are to be written then collated by the LRTA before being read," Reyes said.
"The whole process will last two hours. There are no other guidelines or procedures except so-called ‘house rules’. We can’t consider this a public hearing in the true sense," he added.
“It appears that the decision to raise fares may already be a done deal and that the public consultation is just a small consolation to the public. The fare increase already has the imprimatur of Malacanang," he added.
Bayan said it will write to the DOTC to raise their concerns regarding the process of the fare hike.
It added strong public pressure is needed to stop the fare hike.
“There are a combined 1.2 million commuters from the MRT and LRT. They are ones affected and they will surely reject the new increase," Reyes said.
Bayan also questioned the justification of the DOTC that the fare hike will be used to improve services.
“This is hard to believe, especially if the LRT and MRT are claiming they are losing money. Any increase will only be used to cover these losses and not the improvement of services," Reyes said.
“We are not against improving services. However, these should be funded not out of the consumers’ pockets but from government allocation. Also, the real cause of government losses, which are the onerous debts arising from the flawed contracts, should ultimately be addressed in favor of the public," he added. – VVP, GMANews.TV
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