VP BINAY- 'TRAIN COFFINS' EVIDENCE PNOY ADMIN 'PALPAK'

VP BINAY- 'TRAIN COFFINS' 

EVIDENCE PNOY ADMIN 'PALPAK'

Vice President Jejomar C. Binay on Saturday pointed to the "train coffins" as the biggest evidence proving the Aquino administration's failures and insensitivity to address the people's needs.

"Una ko nang sinabi na palpak at manhid ang pamahalaan.  Ang pinakamalaking ebidensiya:  Ang ating mga tren.  Para po sa inyong kaalaman, tayo ang unang bansa sa Timog Silangang Asya na nagkaroon ng Light Railway Transit (LRT).  Ang bagay na dapat sana ay ating maipagmamalaki ay ngayon isang simbolo ng kamalian sa pamahalaan," said Binay during the oath-taking ceremonies of Rotary International District 3810.

He expressed his puzzlement as he related an incident last month when two trains collided at the Monumento station on a Saturday morning when the trains were supposed to be at a down-time as it was not a work- and school-day.

"Kaya baon ng isa't-kalahating milyon pasahero ng LRT at MRT bawat araw ang panalangin na sana ay walang aberyang mangyari sa sinasakyang running train coffin.  Tama po ang narinig ninyo, train coffin, dahil may lumabas ng report na ang mga tren sa MRT ay limang beses na mas delikado kumpara sa mga tren ng ibang bansa. Ang ugat, ayon sa Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM), ay – ito po ang ginamit nilang salita— management failure," he added.

According to the AGHAM report, the MRT had 3.48 injuries for every 100 million passenger-miles since 2013. American light rail, in contrast, gets only 0.7 injuries.

The same report cited that the lack of proper maintenance for the past two years have made the trains unstable, with the frequency of glitches increasing since 2013.

The Vice President also lamented that many continues to suffer from poverty despite the country's much-vaunted economic progress.

Binay also said that in his visits to the provinces across the country, the highly-touted economic progress is but a figment of the imagination.

"Hindi po ito guni-guni. Sa aking pagi-ikot sa mga lalawigan at bayan ng ating bansa bilang bahagi ng aking tungkulin bilang inyong Pangalawang Pangulo, hindi maipagkakaila na ang kaunlarang ipinagmamalaki ay pawang kathang-isip lamang—nadidinig sa balita, subalit hindi mahawakan, hindi makita, hindi maramdaman ng mayorya ng mga Pilipinong patuloy na nagdurusa. Wala pong tunay na ginhawang maramdaman, at napaka-ilap ng pag-asa," he said.

The Vice President also slammed the administration for its practice of offering excuses rather than providing concrete measures to answer the people's calls for help.

"Sa bawa’t daing ng bayan, tila walang ibang tugon kung hindi pagdadahilan. Ang presyo ng kuryente sa Pilipinas ay isa sa pinakamataas sa buong mundo. Mabigat para sa mga tahanan at negosyo, at isang dahilan kung bakit hirap tay\ong mang-akit ng foreign investments sa manufacturing. Kulang na rin ang kakayahan ng mga plantang pailawin ang buong bansa. Ang sagot ng pamahalaan? Ipaliwanag sa madla kung bakit mahal ang kuryente. Hindi na bale kung ang ilang lalawigan ay madalas mawalan ng ilaw sa loob ng isang linggo," said the Vice President.

Binay also questioned the lack of investment in agriculture, education, healthcare, and job-generating sectors.

"The tragic list goes on. Many parents still cannot feed their children thrice a day, or send them to school. The sick and the elderly can hardly afford or access quality healthcare. Farmers cannot efficiently till the land they work. Despite the influx of money, government has remained stubborn and insensitive to the needs of the people. They refuse to invest in the sectors that will provide decent jobs and address the people’s rights to dignity and development. How can this road lead to a decent future for all?"

The Vice President then said that this way of thinking has to be changed, stressing the need to consider all Filipinos in plans for progress.

"This way of thinking cannot stand whether one is a Rotarian, a government official or an ordinary citizen trying to build a life. We must be courageous enough to change things that hamper our true growth. We must be honest enough to see which of our laws and processes no longer respond to our needs. And we must always be generous in considering not the few, but all Filipinos, in the plans we make," he said.

"These plans cannot be less than bold. What worked a decade ago is not assured of success tomorrow. But if we keep our hearts close to the very people we wish to serve, who have long waited to be served, then our programs will remain responsive, innovative and sincere," he added. /MP