Former MRT 3 manager, 5 others charged of graft

MRT-3
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MANILA—Former Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) manager Al Vitangcol and five others have been indicted of graft by the Ombudsman over an anomalous MRT-3 maintenance contract in 2012.

Vitangcol, along with Marlo dela Cruz, Manolo Maralit, Federico Remo, Arturo Soriano and Wilson de Vera, officials of the Philippine Rail Management and Services Corporation (PH Trams) were found to have violated Section 3 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Inquirer.net reported.

Vitangcol acted with “evident bad faith, manifest partiality, or gross inexcusable negligence”, read the complaint filed before the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman said that the PH Trams should not have been awarded of the maintenance contract as Soriano is the uncle of Vitangcol’s wife.

“In fact, as all the accused knew, accused Soriano, one of the PH Trams’ incorporators, is an uncle-in-law, a relative by affinity within the third civil degree of accused Vitangcol,” the complaint read.

According to the Ombudsman, Vitangcol deliberately concealed his affinity with Soriano so PH Trams could be awarded of the $1 million-a-month maintenance contract.

Vitangcol was relieved of his position as general manager of the MRT in May 2014.