President Rodrigo Duterte will address the Metro Railway Transit Line 3 problem with same political will as the war on drugs and corruption, Malacanang said on Monday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the adminisitration was not "finger-pointing" at the Aquino government, but it was during that time the contract with Busan Universal Rail, Inc. was signed.

Recently, the Department of Transportation terminated the contract with BURI to maintain MRT3 due to its alleged failure to address the problem.

"We will show the same political will that the president has shown in his fight against illegal drugs, in his fight against corruption, in bringing this vital service of transportation to the people as well," Roque said.

He said the Duterte government is not washing its hands but is accepting the challenge to address the MRT woes.

"(T)he president himself is asking for an apology because of the malfunctioning of the MRT most of the time," Roque said.

"Given that, we all know that the problem started during the previous administration," he said.

Roque said with Duterte assuming that he will be responsible for the MRT, "let us give the president the opportunity to rectify the many problems that his administration inherited from the past dispensation."

With the MRT problem, some lawmakers have been demanding for DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade's resignation.

But Roque said Tugade enjoys the full trust and confidence of Duterte.

"The president has said he will back up Secretary Tugade in whatever he may need to effect immediate reform of the MRT," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS