Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma is right: We can’t blame Al Vitangcol for the increase in population. But, to be sure, it is right to blame the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) general manager for not anticipating and/or acting on the effects of the population increase on the services of MRT. In fact, it is right to blame the national government for not addressing the problems of MRT when they were just starting to manifest.
Coloma has the right (and he is right) to advise MRT commuters to consider other modes of transport like buses and jeepneys. However, his suggestion would be sensible only if the alternative modes of transportation were efficient, economical, fast and safe.
I disagree with Coloma’s view that people should not protest and rally to ask for the resignation of a non-performing official. On the contrary. In fact, the people have the right to ask non-performing government officials to shape up or give up their position. In fact, in our neighbor Asian countries, officials who cannot perform resign before people ask for their heads.
The right thing to do at the moment is for the MRT management to admit that they have failed to make the MRT operations efficient, safe and economical. To atone for this failure, they should fast-track the needed improvements.
—DANIEL J. MONTANIEL,
danny.montaniel@ltp.com.ph