DoTr eyes ‘sabotage’ in latest MRT mishap

AN OFFICIAL of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) has raised the possibility of sabotage behind the latest mishap affecting the Metro Rail Transit or MRT-3 on Thursday, Nov. 16.

A third car of a northbound train that had left Ayala Station was detached at around 9:00 a.m., prompting the unloading of an estimated 200 passengers who walked along the tracks toward Buendia Station.

Another unloading incident was also reported on Quezon Avenue Station around that time, in what was the first regular working day this week following a three-day holiday declared to give way to the ASEAN Summit.

The detached car incident was the second MRT mishap this week, after a woman collapsed and fell between two cars of a running train at Ayala Station on Tuesday. It was reported since that her severed arm has been surgically restored.

‘HUMAN INTERVENTION’
As for Thursday morning’s incident, DoTr Undersecretary for Railways Cesar B. Chavez in a text message to reporters that afternoon suggested that a missing component in the detached Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) #68 could be “part of an effort to sabotage the entire operation.”

Earlier that afternoon, MRT-3 officials held a news conference as aired on ANC to disclose their initial findings that the detached car was caused by “human intervention” and not a “mechanical fault” or “electrical fault.”

Ric Inotorio, transport chief of MRT-3, explained that a detached car would have stopped the entire train and sent a “communication error” between the cars to the driver’s diagnostic panel.

For his part, Manuel Mendoza, head of the MRT-3’s light maintenance section, explained that each car had two couplers, one at the front and one behind. “So ito ay parang kutsara-tinidor, o tinatawag natin male and female, na kinakailangan siya ay mag-couple. Pag siya ay nag couple na, automatically, hindi mo ito basta-basta mapaghiwalay. At sa ngayon, yun pa rin ang aming iniisip, kung bakit ito humiwalay.”

(These couplers are like a spoon and fork, or what we call male and female, who have to couple. Once they are coupled, automatically, they cannot just be separated. And that’s what we’re wondering about now, why they were decoupled.)

Rolling stock specialist Ruel Jose, affirming his colleagues, said they were looking into the possibility of “human intervention.”

“So yun lang ang tinitingnan namin na ano ngayon, yung side ng human intervention, kung paano nangyari yun. Kasi nga baffled talaga kami,” Mr. Jose said. (So this is what we’re looking at now, the human intervention side, how it happened. Because we’re really baffled.)

He added: “Hindi yan maghihiwalay ng sarili niya yun eh.” (These cars can’t detach on their own.)

‘WHO HAS THE MOTIVE?’
Mr. Chavez, for his part, said in his text message later that afternoon:

“The Messma Card (Black Box) of the decoupled Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) #68 is missing. This was the report to the MRT management by the technical team lead by Safety Chief Technician Ruel Jose who conducted the initial investigation of this morning’s incident near Ayala station.”

“The Messma Card functions like a black box recording all applied interventions.”

“LRV #68 was the 3rd car in the Index (train) no. 5 which also included LRVs #62 & 60.”

“Who has the motive? Who has the opportunity? Who has the capability of removing the Black Box?” Mr. Chavez also asked.

He added: “Is the motive to simply cover up the mistake of the train operation of Index no. 5 or part of an effort to sabotage the entire operation? These are some questions that the team is looking into.”

TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN
Mr. Chavez also responded to Senator Grace Poe’s suggestion of the MRT’s temporary shutdown in line with commuters’ safety.

“Since the first quarter of this year, Transportation Secretary Art Tugade has already considered stopping the operation of MRT because of its poor condition,” Mr. Chavez said in his message.

“This option is still being seriously considered by the Secretary even up to this date.” Mr. Chavez also said. “He is however aware of the 500,000 daily commuters that rely on the MRT System.”

“Basta sa pagsisikap at kasiguruhan ng technical team na ligtas pa rin ang pagsakay sa MRT, tuloy pa rin ang byahe habang nandyan pa rin ang option na itigil pansamantala ang operation kung ito na talaga ang nararapat na gawin,” Mr. Chavez quoted Mr. Tugade as saying. (So long as we have the diligence and assurance of the technical team that it is still safe to ride the MRT, the trips will continue as well as the option to stop the operation for the time being if this is really needed.)

Meanwhile, Mike Capati, MRT-3’s director for operations, announced on Thursday’s news conferences that changes in the train system’s operations will begin today, Friday.

He said, for one thing, there will be a maximum of 15 trains in operation at any given time. A “rail marshal” will also be posted at every train, he added.

And to give more time to maintenance, 30 minutes will be cut each from the MRT’s 5:00 a.m. opening time and the 11:00 p.m. closing time, leaving the “revenue line” — the period when the MRT has passengers on board its trains — 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

From the perspective of the work force, Mr. Capati said the MRT employees are now “highly motivated,…considering na derecho na ang MRT-3 managing them and kung nakaraan nagkakaproblema sila sa kanilang pa sweldo (considering that the MRT-3 now directly manages them and if in the past there were problems about salary), I would like to mention to you na their initial salaries will be released this Friday.”

“Ganun lang po kabilis ang kanilang ano, so that way ang mga tao po natin ay concentrated sa kanilang pagtatrabaho,” Mr. Capati also said. (That’s how fast [they are now], so that way, our people are concentrated on their work.) — with Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo