MALACAÑANG on Thursday, November 23, rejected the request of Busan Universal Rail Inc. (Buri), former maintenance provider of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-Line 3, to hold a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said there was "no reason" for the President to meet officials of Buri since the government already terminated their three-year P3.8-billion maintenance contract for MRT-3.
"We find no reason to have the requested meeting. We have already canceled the contract with Buri and the government decided to meanwhile take over the maintenance of MRT," Roque said.
Buri officials were among those who have been charged with plunder over the allegedly anomalous deal for the MRT-3. The system has been plagued by frequent glitches and a couple of accidents.
Maricris Pahate, external legal counsel of Buri, said Wednesday that Buri officials wanted to meet Duterte to personally raise to him how they were "unceremoniously kicked out of the cotnract."
Pahate said Buri officials likewise sought to clarify the "mere hearsay" Duterte has been hearing from his constitutents.
On November 6, the Department of Transportation revoked the maintenance contract with Buri, which handles the maintenance works for MRT-3. (VoxPop Philippines)
