(Eagle News) — Militant groups on Monday filed criminal charges against former Department of Trade and Communications Secretary Emilio Abaya and several others over an allegedly anomalous P3.8-billion maintenance contract for the Metro Rail Transit 3.
Abaya, former MRT General Manager Roman Buenafe, former Undersecretary Rene Limcaoco, Jose Rodante Sabayle, Maria Cecilia Natividad, Eldonn Uy, Elizabeth Velasco, Belinda Ong Tan, Catherine Gonzales, Edwin Lopez, Oscar Bongon, Brian Velasco and Chae Gue Shim, Ofelia Astrera, Charissa Eloisa Opulencia face charges for graft and for violation of the government procurement law filed by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr., Bayan Muna Chair Neri Colmenares, AGHAM secretary general Feny Cosico, and Angelo Suarez, Donna Miranda and James Relativo of TREN.
The complainants argued that the maintenance contract awarded to the joint venture of Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI) through negotiated procurement “was grossly disadvantageous, to the government and to the riding public.”
The filing of the complaint comes after a series of glitches that marred the operation of the MRT3, including the uncoupling of a wagon recently.
