MANILA - The former maintenance contractor of the MRT-3 sidestepped allegations that it failed to maintain the trains, saying it warned the government as early as last year that the railway may suffer glitches because of the poor condition and design flaws of the tracks.

Busan Universal Rail (BURI) said on Tuesday it had advised the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to reduce the speed of the trains to avoid glitches, as its contract does not cover service interruptions related to problems with rails, electrical supply, passengers, drivers or even the weather.

"Busan as early as January 11, 2016, nag-request na 3 days upon its assumption of its contract, had already requested a significant reduction to 30kph and certain sections na 25kph. But it was unheeded by the DOTr," said BURI managing director Engr. Eugene Rapanut.

He added that it was the obligation of the DOTr to implement a total rail replacement that should have started in 2016.

"The current state of MRT-3 reflects how the system was built and constructed. We are not into a blame game but it is the obligation of the government to bring all these things in the open for the Filipino taxpayer to understand," Rapanut said.

The government formally terminated BURI's contract on Monday, citing poor performance. BURI said it would contest the termination.
-- with a report from Jacque Manabat, ABS-CBN News

• READ: DOTr terminates MRT maintenance contract