2 whistleblowers to testify over MRT3 mess: Roque
At least two "whistleblowers" have come forward and offered to testify against those responsbile on the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) mess, Malacanang said on Thursday.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said pieces of evidence have been given to him by these whistleblowers who were privy to alleged anomalous transaction involving MRT3 during the previous administration.
"It’s now in the process of investigation, and this is what I promised to do. I have some documentary evidence already," he said.
He promised to divulge to the public the supposed pieces of evidence that were given to him.
"Perhaps beginning next week, I will devote one day a week in disclosing facts and details about the plunder of MRT 3. But I have documents already! I’m just giving notice to the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and DOJ (Department of Justice) before I go public with the documents. But I promised that this will be a continuing activity that we will have here, and which is dissecting the plunder of MRT 3," Roque said.
The NBI may conduct an investigation against those former government officials who could be held responsible in the poor state now of MRT3, he said.
In November last year, the Department of Transportation filed plunder complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against several former Cabinet officials of the Aquino administration for the alleged anomalous maintenance service contract for the MRT3.
Named respondents were former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya, former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, former Transportation Undersecretaries Erwin Lopez, Rene Limcaoco, and Catherine Gonzales; former MRT-3 general manager Roman Buenafe, former DOTC Bids and Awards Committee members and executives of Busan Universal Railways Inc., the private contractor.
Also included in the charges were former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Marlo dela Cruz, executive of PH Trams, former MRT-3 service contractor prior to BURI.
These former officials were named respondents because they were members of the government procurement policy board that approved the P3.8-billion contract with BURI.
Roque said the whistleblowers have approached him about three weeks ago and he received the first batch of documents on Thursday. Celerina Monte/DMS
