* Complaints mount
Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte wants the Mindanao Railway Project to be pursued by the administration of President Ferdinancld Marcos Jr. and wants it done right away.
The MRP was among the three big ticket railway projects of the congressman’s father, then Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte, that was temporarily set aside as loan negotiation with China lenders caught up with the change in administration.
Talks of the revival of the loan negotiations however had resumed with Transportation Sec. Jaime J. Bautista and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian agreeing to restart negotiations for the major China-funded railway projects among these the PNR South Long Haul Project (North-South Commuter Railway), Subic-Clark Railway, and Mindanao Railway Tagum-Davao-Digos segment.
Congressmen Duterte however said that the government must look into several complaints and acccusation of anomalies by some residents affected by the planned project.
Rep. Duterte along with Benguet lone district Rep. Eric Yap filed House Resolution (HR) No.286, which calls for a congressional investigation on the proposed MRP, specifically on the way the Department of Transportation (DOTr) carried out its right-of-way acquisitions and expropriation of private properties to be affected by the rail line.
Duterte said that he received numerous complaints from Davao City residents whose residences would be directly affected by the proposed railway line.
The congressman however did not specify what anomaly had taken place. The new administration had just taken over the projects although it is expected that the it will pursue acquisitions of rights of way either by negotiation or expropriation.
He claimed that the proposed MRP rail line will pass through densely populated areas in Davao City, “without the appropriate geological surveys or proper public consultations with the affected communities”.
The new MRP team under Marcos government will revisit what had been undertaken by the past administration.
Duterte and Yap however acknowledged in their resolution that the MRP “will not only make travel faster, but also safer, more convenient and comfortable for passengers in the said corridor”. Travel time will be cut from three hours to just one hour.
In an exclusive interview with DOTr Usec Cesar Chavez, the point official on railways, he said that President Marcos had given his office a directive to go full speed ahead. He acknowledge that rights-of-ways are a major set-back but that they will pursue the project of President Duterte up to completion. He said that this office will tackle all issues to the satisfaction of everybody including the local government units.
Usec Chavez said the the LGUs will play an important role in the project implementation particularly on the ticklish rights of way acquisition.
Congressmen Duterte and Yap pointed out that there are variations actual Zonal Value or Fair Market Value of the properties affected,” the two congressmen said.
Though not naming names, Rep. Duterte said there were also reports that some politicians bought vast parcel of lands where the rail line will be constructed at a cheap price and are now selling it to the government ten times or more than the original price.
Phase 1 of the MRP (Tagum-Davao-Digos segment) is a 105-km line that is expected to reduce travel time. It will have eight stations: Tagum, Carmen, Panabo, Mudiang, Davao Terminal, Toril, Sta. Cruz, and Digos. A 10-hectare depot will be built in Tagum City and another hub in Davao City. (Jun Ledesma/photo courtesy of: HKTDC Research)