DOTC denies accusation that department official is COMET co-owner

Department of Transportation and Communication spokesman Atty. Migs Sagcal on Tuesday denied Senator Alan Peter Cayetano's accusation and countered that, based on their records, no DOTC official was a co-owner of the City Optimized Managed Electric Transport (COMET) jeep service.

 

Sagcal also told GMA 7 news program “24 Oras” that the COMET had a provisional authority to operate, and would be a hearing on whether the service would be granted a franchise given that one of its units had burst into flames last May 13.

 

“'Yung pagkasunog ng isang COMET jeep noong nakaraang linggo ay magiging parte ng pagdinig doon sa kanilang aplikasyon. Dahil siyempre hindi naman tayo papayag na kung mayroon delikado o malalagay sa peligro ang kaligtasan ng ating mga mananakay siyempre magiging factor yan,” Sagcal explained.

 

Cayetano said earlier that he wanted to start an investigation into the COMET's apparent lack of franchise. “Wala naman silang franchise, wala silang plaka. Ang hawak lang nila permit para i-testing sa road pero naniningil na sila. At bukod sa naniningil binibigyan na ng puwesto sa airport,” Cayetano said.

 

Meanwhile, Pasang Masda President Obet Martin, whose group is a stockholder of the COMET, said the 13 units were being thoroughly inspected and these would soon be ready for deployment.

 

“Ang ginawa po ng GET Philippines ngayon ay inupgrade lahat to see to it na lahat ng bibiyahe sa June 1 ay A1 condition na,” Martin said.

 

COMET jeeps are seen as a green alternative to the regular, diesel-fueled jeeps. — Andrei Medina/DVM, GMA News