SC raffles off petition vs. MRT, LRT fare hikes

Workers hold a rally in front of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 North Avenue Station in Quezon City on Monday (Jan. 5, 2015) to express opposition to fare increases of the MRT and Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2. (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)

MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) has raffled off the petition filed against the fare increases of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT).

MRT-3 straddles from North Avenue, Quezon City to EDSA Taft Avenue, Pasay City; LRT-1 stretches from Monumento, Caloocan City to Baclaran, Paranaque City and LRT-2 passes through from Recto, Manila to Santolan, Pasig City.

In a statement from the Office of the Chief Justice, particularly raffled off is the petition filed by the militant group Bayan and former Iloilo Rep. Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco.

It said that pursuant to the Internal Rules of the SC, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. Aranal Sereno will await the recommendation of the magistrate assigned to handle the case, whether or not the SC will issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the implementation of the fare hires at the MRT-3, LRT-1 LRT-2.

The en banc session of the SC is currently on a “recess” and will resume its session on Jan. 20, 2015.

There are now four petitions filed before the SC against the fare increases at the MRT-3, LRT-1 and LRT-2.