LTO-7 acting chief seeks extension of lease contract

CEBU, Philippines - Land Transportation Office-7 acting chief Alita Pulga is calling on the physician who opposed her application for LTO regional director to instead help them lobby to the Mandaue City government to have his existing licensing centers stay beyond the lease contract.

Pulga is calling on Danilo Dionson, an accredited LTO physician, to help them ask the Mandaue City government to have the licensing centers, whose contracts will not be extended, to remain in the area.

On January 14, 2015, former LTO-7 acting chief Arnel Tancinco informed former LTO chief Alfonso Tan Jr. that then mayor Jonas Cortes told him that the lease contracts of the licensing centers near LTO-Mandaue City will not be extended due to the planned expansion of Mandaue City Jail.

Pulga said this is the root of Dionson's anger at her and the reason why he opposed her application for the LTO regional director post.  Dionson is the owner of a medical clinic accredited to process medical certificates for license applicants at the LTO.

 If given the choice, Pulga said she would also prefer to stay in the present location of LTO in Looc, Mandaue City since the office is ready to be rehabilitated should the city government extend the contract even up to five years.

 Pulga said they have been meeting with the Mandaue City officials for possible extension of the lease contract, which expired on August 16, 2013, but to no avail.

 "If I were Dr. Dionson, he knows better to convince the City of Mandaue to extend the usufruct, improve the roads and solve the flooding that endangers our clients. Since he is a Mandauehanon, he must help the LTO to lobby the city officials," Pulga said.

But Dionson has questioned Pulga's call.   "Why me?" asked Dionson, when sought for comment.

 Dionson has led other stakeholders of LTO-Mandaue City, such as the medical, drug testing, insurance, emission testing, stores and eateries, in asking LTO chief Edgar Galvante to reconsider the transfer of the office to the LTO-Motor Vehicle Inspection Center in Barangay Subangdaku. 

 "We all lose our hard earned investments, employment termination and other economic activities in our area," read their letter dated Sept. 06, 2016 addressed to Galvante.  (FREEMAN)