CA ruling allows DOTC to buy trains from China

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MANILA — The Department of Transportation was allowed to acquire additional trains for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) from a Chinese supplier.

In a ruling upholding a 2014 decision, the Court of Appeals  denied the plea of the Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC) and MRT Holdings II seeking to stop the department from awarding a contract for the supply of new trains to a Chinese supplier.

The DOTC was eyeing to acquire 48 new light rail vehicles (LRVs) from Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock of China.

On a six-page resolution written by Justice Ma. Elisa Sempio Diy, the court said that it has not found a valid reason to stop the DOTC from awarding the project to the Chinese supplier.

It added that the petitioners’ grounds for seeking a temporary restraining order are speculative.

“After due consideration of the parties’ arguments, we find no cogent reason to set aside or reverse our earlier ruling denying petitioners’ prayer for a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction. Petitioners’ allegation that the present procurement of LRVs from Dalian Locomotive could lead to higher risks of train collisions and cause incalculable damage to the MRT 3 system is speculative,” the court said in a six-page resolution written by Justice Ma. Elisa Sempio Diy.

The court agreed with the DOTC adding that the writ of preliminary injunction was  no longer feasible.