(Eagle News) — The Department of Transportation on Tuesday filed a plunder complaint against nine Cabinet members of then-President Benigno Aquino III and several others over the allegedly anomalous MRT-3 maintenance contract.
Facing charges over the P3.8-billion contract are former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, ex-Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya, former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, former Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, former Budget secretary Butch Abad, former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, former Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and former National Economic Development Authority chief Arsenio Balisacan.
Also charged were former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) officials; former MRT General Manager Roman Buenafe; former Transportation undersecretaries Rene Limcaoco, Edwin Lopez and Catherine Gonzales; officials of Busan Universal Rail, Inc.; and Marlo Dela Cruz.
The filing of the charges came a day after militant groups sued Abaya and several others over the P3.8-billion contract.
The DoTR under President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the contract with BURI following the series of glitches experienced by the public transportation system.