DOTr: Sumitomo declines offer to come back as MRT3 maintenance contractor

Japan's Sumitomo Corp., the original maintenance contractor of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3), has declined the offer to come back and service the mass rail system, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Monday.

"Totoo po na sana Sumitomo, pero Sumitomo po mismo ang umayaw. Maaaring may ibang dahilan sila kung bakit hindi nila ginusto," Transportation Assistant Secretary Elvira Medina said in an interview on GMA News' "News to Go."

Medina noted that Sumitomo has declined the offer of the government in the past to return as the MRT3 maintenance provider.

But that there are no clear indications yet regarding the most recent intention of the Metro Rail Transit Corp. to rehire Sumitomo as maintenance contractor of the mass rail transport system.

The Department of Transportation has terminated the maintenance contract with Busan Universal Railways Inc. (BURI) due to "poor performance," and sought to entice Sumitomo to come back as maintenance contractor.

Sumitomo has trained Filipinos in the maintenance aspects of MRT3, and the DOTr is now trying to identify who they are, Medina noted.

"Sumitomo ang may technology pero mga kababayan natin ang na-train. (Sana) mahanap ang mga Pinoy na na-train ng Sumitomo mismo," she said.

In the same interview, Medina said she is open to a temporary shutdown of MRT3 operations and resolve its problems but the government must provide commuters with an alternative mode of transport to their daily commute.

"Hindi po natin basta maisasara kung wala pong alternative solution. Nakikipag-ugnayan ang ating mga transport officers para makita po natin ilan ang tunay na pangangailangan na additional buses," she said.

"Kailangan po wholistic ang ating approach," she added. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News