SEN. RAMON BONG REVILLA, JR. CALLS ON THE DOTr TO TAKE ACTION ON RECURRING MRT 3 MALFUNCTION

Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. has expressed serious concern over the recurring disruptions of the Metro Railway Transit (MRT) 3 operations, which continue to burden our commuters, especially during rush hours. This problem is further exacerbated by the rising number of COVID-19 infections in Metro Manila.

The solon's statement came after a netizen captured a photo of the long queue of commuters in Ortigas Station at around 6:00 pm on Tuesday. According to witnesses, the scene was characterized as chaotic, with irate and tired commuters yelling and pushing against each other.

"Lubos akong nababagabag at nag-aalala, sa nakikita nating kaawa-awang kalagayan ng ating mga kababayang naghahabol ng makauwi sa kanilang mga tahanan. Mga magulang na pagod galing sa trabaho, mga anak na nagmamadaling makauwi galing sa eskwela. Nakakagalit isipin na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin natutugunan ng Kagawaran ng Transportasyon ang problema sa MRT, lalong lalo na ngayon na patuloy na tumataas ang hawahan ng COVID-19 sa ating bansa. Nakaka-alarma dahil posibleng maging super spreader ito", said Revilla

This disturbing situation has prompted Revilla to call on the Department of Transportation (DOTr), led by Secretary-designate Jaime "Jimmy" Bautista, to get their acts together to avert the happening of similar incidents in the future. Last night's malfunction is the latest of the many mishaps that continue to plague the riding public over the years.

In an advisory, MRT apologized as the inconvenience was due to a technical glitch on the signaling system reported along a track circuit approaching Taft Avenue station.

"Nananawagan po tayo sa pamunuan ng MRT 3 na agarang solusyunan ang paulit-ulit na problema ito. More or less 300,000 commuters rely on MRT everyday. While this is a challenge on our Department of Transportation, it is also an opportunity to prove that we have a government that promptly responds to the needs of our people", said Revilla.