SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said the Memorandum of Agreement signed last week on the P2.8-billion MRT-LRT common station in Quezon City was “onerous and unconstitutional.”
At a congressional hearing conducted by the House committee on transportation, Alvarez, a former DoTC secretary, also lambasted the Department of Transportation officials for insisting on the common station to be built near Trinoma Mall of the Ayala Land to advance the interests of major businessmen.
Alvarez said the common station could not operate without securing first a legislative franchise from Congress.
But Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Raoul Creencia said the DOTr followed the Build-Operate-Transfer Law which provides for a “concession agreement.”
“Railways business involves public utility. You must have a legislative franchise to operate a public utility business,” Alvarez said in the hearing.
Alvarez also threatened to launch a congressional investigation on the matter should the DOTr insist on the proposal.
Alvarez warned the DOTr officials might be facing cases in court if they insisted on the onerous contract.
Alvarez doubted the DOTr’s common station project that was perfected during the Aquino administration.
“Aren’t you pulling our legs there? It might be that business interests were being accommodated here,” Alvarez said in Filipino.
Creencia told the House panel the common station proposal had gone thru “technical” studies to ensure “convenience” of the riding public.
But Alvarez was not convinced with Creencia’s explanation, saying “You’re wasting our time. The technical study, that is a justification for the things you want to be done.”
The agreement was signed last week by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar with LRT Authority Administrator Reynaldo Berroya, SM Prime Holdings Inc. executive chairman Hans Sy, Light Rail Manila Corp. vice chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, San Miguel Corp. president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang and North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp. represented by Ayala Land Inc. vice chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.
Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the proposed common station, per the MoA design, would cost the government P2.8 billion, saying this cost is higher than the previously approved designs.
“We would like to revisit this new design as we hope to avoid the blunder of the Gateway Mall connection [under the LRT 2], where commuters have to walk approximately 700 meters to transfer from MRT Line 3 to LRT Line 2. This imposes an unjustifiable inconvenience to commuters, and strongly implies no other persuasive reason but corporate greed,” Suarez told a news conference.
In 2009, Suarez said the National Economic Development Authority Investment Coordinating Council approved DoTC’s common station project proposal originally located in SM City North Edsa Annex.
“This would have been an ideal location because all roads converge in the North Edsa. During the last administration, the common station was moved to Trinoma Mall. P1.4 billion was approved on November 21, 2013, by the Neda Board chaired by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III. A Temporary Restraining Order was issued but we understand this will be lifted in light of the recently signed MOA,” Suarez said.
At a congressional hearing conducted by the House committee on transportation, Alvarez, a former DoTC secretary, also lambasted the Department of Transportation officials for insisting on the common station to be built near Trinoma Mall of the Ayala Land to advance the interests of major businessmen.
Alvarez said the common station could not operate without securing first a legislative franchise from Congress.
But Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Raoul Creencia said the DOTr followed the Build-Operate-Transfer Law which provides for a “concession agreement.”
“Railways business involves public utility. You must have a legislative franchise to operate a public utility business,” Alvarez said in the hearing.
Alvarez also threatened to launch a congressional investigation on the matter should the DOTr insist on the proposal.
Alvarez warned the DOTr officials might be facing cases in court if they insisted on the onerous contract.
Alvarez doubted the DOTr’s common station project that was perfected during the Aquino administration.
“Aren’t you pulling our legs there? It might be that business interests were being accommodated here,” Alvarez said in Filipino.
Creencia told the House panel the common station proposal had gone thru “technical” studies to ensure “convenience” of the riding public.
But Alvarez was not convinced with Creencia’s explanation, saying “You’re wasting our time. The technical study, that is a justification for the things you want to be done.”
The agreement was signed last week by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar with LRT Authority Administrator Reynaldo Berroya, SM Prime Holdings Inc. executive chairman Hans Sy, Light Rail Manila Corp. vice chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, San Miguel Corp. president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang and North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp. represented by Ayala Land Inc. vice chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.
Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the proposed common station, per the MoA design, would cost the government P2.8 billion, saying this cost is higher than the previously approved designs.
“We would like to revisit this new design as we hope to avoid the blunder of the Gateway Mall connection [under the LRT 2], where commuters have to walk approximately 700 meters to transfer from MRT Line 3 to LRT Line 2. This imposes an unjustifiable inconvenience to commuters, and strongly implies no other persuasive reason but corporate greed,” Suarez told a news conference.
In 2009, Suarez said the National Economic Development Authority Investment Coordinating Council approved DoTC’s common station project proposal originally located in SM City North Edsa Annex.
“This would have been an ideal location because all roads converge in the North Edsa. During the last administration, the common station was moved to Trinoma Mall. P1.4 billion was approved on November 21, 2013, by the Neda Board chaired by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III. A Temporary Restraining Order was issued but we understand this will be lifted in light of the recently signed MOA,” Suarez said.
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