NEWSFLASH

Manila, Aug. 17, 2000 - Security has been tightened even more at the Light Rail Transit (LRT) as it becomes operational from 6 am to 8 pm starting today, the Department of Transpiration and Communication (DOTC) said yesterday.

DOTC Undersecretary Carlos Borromeo noted that more policemen would be deployed in each of the 18 stations of LRT to guard against saboteurs and other lawless elements. " We have been coordinating with the Philipine National Police about this. We want to keep a sharp eye against anyone who intends to sow terror and disrupt the operations of LRT," he added.

Plainclothes policemen will join commuters in the LRT coaches while the uniformed ones will assist security guards in checking the bags of passengers in every station. "We just want to ensure the safety of the commuters. I just hope that they understand if what we're doing causes inconvenience," Borromeo said.

Meanwhile, terminated LRT employees are set to stage a series of rallies to pressure the government to rehire them. LRT union Pinag-isang Lakas ng Manggawa sa Metro Inc. (PIGLAS) president Sanny Malunes said all terminated employees will join the mass protests to be staged in different government offices starting Friday.

At a press conference, PIGLAS members denounced the Light Railway Transit Authority (LRTA) and DOTC for attempting to resume normal operations of the public transport without rehiring the terminate workers.

The operations of the LRT had been limited to five hours a day from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. due to lack of manpower brought about by a two-day strike by its employee on July 26 which prompted the DOTC to terminate the contract of the Metro Transit Organization Inc., (Metro) the private company formerly contracted to operate and maintain the facility. The police fear the strikers may sabotage LRT in retaliation for their firing.

Borromeo said the hours of LRT operations could have been extended earlier if not for the need to strengthen its maintenance capability.