IN what seemed more like a continuing saga of a customary purge every time a new boss comes in, no less than Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon announced the “departure” of another official under his agency.
Barely a month after being appointed as Secretary for the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Dizon replaced almost the entire DOTr structure — from the undersecretaries down to the general managers of agencies under his radar.
The most recent “casualty” — Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT3) general manager Oscar Bongon. As of this writing, the reason for Bongon’s removal from office has yet to be announced.
Interestingly, a list of names for his possible replacement has already been submitted to the Office of the President in Malacanang even before the Dizon made the announcement on the removal of Bogon.
ESCALATOR INCIDENT
According to DOTr insiders, Bongon’s “departure” from the agency has been decided upon by Dizon even before the escalator incident at the Taft Avenue Station which left at least 10 passengers injured.
The incident was caught on cam by a netizen who posted the video on social media.
The escalator (in ascending direction) was reportedly packed with passengers when it malfunctioned, causing some people to fall on top of each other while a female passenger also hurt her ankle.
In a statement, the DOTr explained that the primary chain of the escalator broke off, hence causing the accident.
TOPSI TURVY TRAINS
The same insider hinted at the failure of the MRT-3 management to ensure functionality of the mass transportation system complementing the huge passenger volume along EDSA.
Barely a week after assuming the top DOTr post, Dizon reportedly fumed after an MRT-3 northbound train stopped even before it could reach the Santolan-Annapolis Station. Passengers reportedly smelled smoke before the train abruptly stopped. They also claimed to have heard twice what sounded like blasts.
Previously, passengers nearly lost their balance after another MRT-3 train stalled near the Shaw Boulevard Station.
Stalled trains though are not new as MRT is notoriously famous for its topsy turvy rail system — non-operational elevators, steep stairs, malfunctioning air conditioning units,, to name a few.
FAMILIAR FACES BACK
Soon after being sworn as DOTr chief, Dizon sought the courtesy resignation of all officials under the radar of the agency in what he claimed as a common practice in view of leadership changes.
In a Facebook post on February 27, Dizon personally administered the oath-taking of his new team to ensure delivery of results amid a limited timetable reportedly set by his appointing authority — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
His new team though, is composed of the same familiar faces. Undersecretary for Administration, Finance and Procurement Giovanni Lopez, who replaced Jesus Nathaniel Martin Gonzales, previously served as undersecretary and assistant secretary, and was also former DOTr Sec. Arthur Tugade’s chief of staff.
Undersecretary for road transport and infrastructure Mark Steven Pasto, who served as Tugade’s Assistant Secretary replaced Jesus Ferdinand Ortega.
Jim Sydiongco, Undersecretary for aviation and airports Jim Sydiongco who served as director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) during Tugade’s term as DOTr chief, took over Roberto Lim’s post.
Undersecretary for road transport and non-infrastructure Ramon Reyes used to work for the Stradcom Corporation which secured a contract to manage the Land Transportation Office (LTO) portal.
Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development Teodorico Jose Delfin, who was the senior vice president at Lopez-led First Gen Corporation, effectively eased out Timothy John Batan as railways chief.
MORE FAMILIAR FACES
Raul del Rosario, acting director general and acting member of the board of directors of CAAP Del Rosario takes the post of Antonio Tamayo. Del Rosario was appointed by former president Rodrigo Duterte as the administrator for the Office of Transportation Security in 2019.
He previously served as the chief of the Western Command and the Central Command. He is credited as the Air Force pilot who discovered China’s occupation of Mischief Reef in 1994.
Meanwhile, Villamor Ventura S. Plan is now assistant secretary for maritime. He is listed among the former deputy administrators of the now defunct Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.