*3jr:'-H*ocroBER

10' 2o1s
dffinare News
LRT lacks failsafe
system, exec says
Bv Maricel V. Cruz
ahd MJ Blancaflor
A LIGHT Rail Transit Authority offi-
cial admittsd Wednesday that the agen-
cy does not have a disaster recovery
plan to deal with evenrs such as the fire
that forced the shutdown ofthree LRT 2
stations on Oct. 3.
"Sorry, sir, I don't think we have
one," said Federico Canar, manager of
the LRT Lines 1 and 2 Engineering De-
parftnent, after Muntinlupa City Rep.
Rozzano Rufino Biazon asked if there
was a playbook lo deal with such dis-
asters.
Canar's testimony was part of a hear-
ing into the partial suspension of the
LRT 2 conducted by tbe committee o1r
transportation led by Samar Rep. Edgar
Mary Sarmiento.
Reacting to Canar's admission, Bi-
azon said this was "a glaring gap" for
critical infrastructure, since arry break-
down, manmade or natural, would Sarmiento ernotionally asked for the "l am a little emotional because T can
cause "a lot ofhavoc." public's forgiveness over the heavy see the suffering of our constituents. A
Hemando Cabrefa, corporatg board burden that their daily commute has never-ending suffering and I wonder
brought them. why, despite a P4.l-trillion budget duly
secretary of LRTA, said the agency's He said: "From the bottom of my passed by this House, we cannot even
board would check ifthis is included in heart, as the chairman of the commit- have the decency of an efficient mass
the company's risk managem€nt plan. tee on transportation, including the vice public transportation system," he said.
On the investigation into the fire, LRTA chairmen, the members of the commit- Presidential Spokesman Salvador Pan-
Deputy Adminishator for Operations and tee on transportation, to include the elo on Wednesday denied suggestions
Engineering Paul Chua said arson has rgembers ofthe l8th \ that he was unaware of the "vexing daily
been ruled out and th attheBureat of Fir{/ Congress chaired by Speaker Alan\ommute" in Metro Manila. afur draw-
Protection, which would issup the finali Peter Cayetano, we are asking for the ing flak for declaring that therc is no
assessment, is currently investigating people's forgiveness for their suffer- transportation crisis in the country.
whether the fire was due to a lightning ing," he said. Panelo, who also serves as Presi-
strike or equipment failure. "You deserve better in life," he added. dent Rodrigo Duterte's chief legal
At the start ofthe hearing, Sarmiento Sarmiento vowed that the govern- counsel, earlier dismissed ihe claim
apologized to the commuting public for ment will find a solution to the mass of militant group Bayan that there is
the suffering that the worsening traffic transport problem in Metro Manila a transportation crisis gripping the
problem in Metro Manila has caused while he is the chairman of the House metropolis, after three of its railways
them on a daily basis. i transportation panel, bogged down last week.