mrt stays under heightened security

Meek as a kitten Chinese national Jiale Zhang, 23, who earlier had created a scene at MRT 3 Boni Station by throwing a cup of bean curd to a cop looks like a cornered kitten after being booked for direct assault. Analy Labor

February 10th, 12:20am February 9th, 9:01pm Neil Alcober

All Metro and Light Rail Transit stations remain under strict security and the public is urged to support, cooperate and respect the security personnel tasked to implement the order.

In a statement, the management of Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) on Saturday stressed that although tighter measures are being implemented inside their facility, they were not meant to harm the passengers.

It added the management was putting the safety and security of passengers as its topmost priority following recent bombing attacks in Mindanao.

The MRT-3 management said even before the recent ban on bottled water, drinks and liquids, “consumption of unsealed food and drinks was already prohibited inside trains and stations as this can cause inconvenience, accident and delay in operations.”

MRT-3 is an attached office of the Department of Transportation under Secretary Arthur Tugade.

The statement was released following a recent bean curd or “taho”- throwing incident at MRT-3 involving a Chinese woman and a cop.

According to the report, a Chinese national named Jiale Zhang, 23, tried to enter the Boni Avenue Station of MRT-3 around 8:30 a.m. yesterday, while holding a cup of bean curd.

She was, however, prevented from entering by two security personnel who asked her to consume first her food before going inside the station.

The woman, however, refused to heed the order prompting the security guards to refer the matter to PO 1 William Cristobal.

Cristobal was still explaining to the woman the security protocol when the latter who was fuming mad suddenly threw the cup of bean curd at him.

The woman was immediately brought to the police detachment where she was initially booked for direct assault.

She was later released after issuing an apology but appropriate charges will be filed against her on orders of National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar.