Ex-officials accused of corruption in Manila train contract

The Philippine government filed complaints yesterday with an anti-graft office accusing many Cabinet officials in the previous administration of corruption in a maintenance contract for a Manila commuter train line hounded by near-daily breakdowns.

In addition to the frequent glitches, the Metro Rail Transit 3 Line has also suffered more serious accidents. A coach derailed last week while carrying passengers on metropolitan Manila’s main avenue. No one was reported hurt, but more than 100 passengers had to be evacuated. In 2014, dozens of passengers were injured when a train overshot the tracks at a terminal station.

The maintenance contract with Busan Universal Rail Inc., a Philippine-Korean group, has been canceled.

In its plunder complaint with the Ombudsman’s Office, the Department of Transportation named most Cabinet officials in the government of former President Benigno Aquino III, current President Rodrigo Duterte’s predecessor and political adversary.

“We must stress that the great suffering of the riding public as a result of the failure to deliver on the responsibilities of public office, such as the case of the current state of the MRT-3 system, carries consequences and that those accountable will be held liable,” Duterte spokesman Harry Roque said. AP