Palace exec: Sorry for suggesting commuters try other transpo in place of MRT

A Malacañang official on Friday apologized to the public following the backlash he received for suggesting that commuters try other modes of transportation aside from the Metro Rail Transit (MRT).

"Humihingi tayo ng paumanhin at pag-unawa dahil maaaring nagkaroon ng misimpression arising from that single answer," Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said during a press conference.

Coloma issued the apology after netizens bashed him for saying there are other ways to commute aside from riding the MRT. Many commuters interpreted his statement as trying to bail government out of having to solve the country's transport problem. 

"Yung MRT lang ba ang puwedeng sakyan doon sa mga rutang dinadaanan nito? Baka naman puwedeng matuklasan yung iba pang mga options," he said on Thursday.

On Friday, however, Coloma said he did not mean for it to be interpreted negatively.

"Sana lang ay maunawaan na hindi iyon ang buod ng aking posisyon dito dahil sa tinagal ng panahon na ating tinatalakay ay palagian naman nating ipinapaalala ang pangangailangan na mabigyan ng epektibong solusyon ang lahat ng mga suliraning ito," he said.

He explained that they were only making suggestions to help ease the situation while they are acquiring new MRT coaches, which are expected to arrive in 2015.

"Humihingi po kami ng paumanhin at pag-unawa sa ating mga kababayan sa kanilang dinaranas na sakripisyo araw-araw. Habang hinihintay ang pagdating ng mga bagong bagon, patuloy na sisikapin ng pamahalaan na maibsan ang problemang ito," he said.

As for the challenge for him to take public transportation, he said he had done this in the past already.

Coloma said he had even directly supervised the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and served as Transportation undersecretary from 1989 to 1990, so he knows where the problem lies.

"Kaya hindi naman po siguro kalabisan na sabihin na may pag-unawa po tayo sa araw-araw na sitwasyon na umiiral diyan," he said.

But he said they will also take into consideration suggestions from the public, including allowing roundtrips and conducting performance targets for the maintenance contractors of the MRT 3.
 
"Ipaparating natin sa pamunuan ng DOTC-MRT-3 ang suhestiyon na ito," he said.

According to MRT 3 general manager Al Vitangcol III, the MRT carries 560,000 passengers on average per day, much higher than its original design capacity, which Vitangcol pegged at 320,000 passengers per day. Passengers have been complaining about the long queues at stations. — RSJ, GMA News