Machinations of MRT, Lies of the LRT.

ORDINARY CITIZEN'S NOTES. 7 JAN 2015. WED. N2.
Machinations of MRT, Lies of the LRT.

THE CHEATS WE CALL immoral businessmen--there is nothing wrong in business, truth to tell, but when it exacts the future of a people, that is something!--are laughing their way to the bank with this fare hike of both the MRT and the LRT lines. 

There is treachery in the fare hike in both concept and process. 

The PR materials of the government rationalizing what it does wrong are just that: PR materials.

In Ilokano, we have a name for this, and Secretary Coloma--with all the dignity of his office--should know this: PR is PUSKOL RUPA. 

Translated into English, it is the thick-faced Goebbelsian tactic that, per its roots, justified Nazism even if this was no longer justifiable. 

Ah, we are not learning at all.

Teddy Casino has listed six lies and fallacies of this Goebbelsian claim of the P-Noy (mal)administration, and it is worth reproducing the first two here. 

Check it out, ladies and gentlemen:

1. The fare hike is needed to rehabilitate and upgrade the LRT and MRT train systems.

This is a lie. In fact, the 2015 budget recently signed by Pres. Aquino already includes a P7.4-billion allocation for the rehabilitation of the MRT, and another P4.65 billion for its subsidy. Aside from this, a 2014 supplemental budget was approved last month containing a P1.2-billion allocation for MRT rehabilitation and capacity extension, and P727.6 million for the rehabilitation of LRT lines 1 and 2.

In other words, the LRT and MRT have already secured enough funds from government for 2014 and 2015 to pursue its planned rehabilitation and upgrading plans. The sad thing is, the fare hike will now being used to justify a P2.1 billion reduction in subsidies for the train lines.

2. The fare hike will benefit commuters.

This is a lie. Proceeds from the fare hike will be used to pay the private creditors of the train lines and fatten the pockets of its private concessionaires including the MRT 3’s Sobrepeña group and LRT 1’s Metro Pacific-Ayala consortium.

In fact, DOTC Secretary Joseph Abaya admitted that the estimated P1 billion additional income from the MRT fare hike will go to an escrow account for the payment of the government’s monthly dues to the MRT Corporation. This is due to the onerous contract entered into by the Ramos government where the Sobrepeña-led company was granted, among many sweeteners, a guaranteed 15% annual rate of return for 25 years.

As to the LRT 1, which was recently taken over by the Light Rail Manila Consortium of the Metro Pacific, Ayala and Macquarie groups, the increased revenue is needed to improve its financial standing which would allow the private concessionaire to raise funds for their LRT-1 extension project. The fare hike is actually part of the guarantees given by the Aquino government to the consortium under the P65 billion LRT-1 privatization contract.

HON/