Road Board ensures transparent, effective performance

We recognize the good intentions behind House Bill 6236 filed by Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez.  COA audit observations on the allege misuse of funds referred to transactions of the previous administrations from 2002-2013.  These audit observations were looked into by the new administration which assumed office in August 2016.

We  now have a new Board composed of men with proven integrity and probity who have never  been involved in or condoned any malfeasance in public office, namely: (1) Sec. Mark A. Villar of DPWH, (2) Sec. Arthur P. Tugade of DOTr, (3) Sec. Benjamin E. Diokno of DBM and Sec. Carlos G. Dominguez III of DOF and Mr. Richard Necesario Sr. as representative of the private transport organizations.

Under the new leadership, the following initiatives were implemented  to ensure effective and accountable performance of its mandate:

1. Rationalized coordinating system between the LTO which collects the Motor Vehicle User’s charge (MVUC)  and the Bureau of Treasury (BTr) which maintains special trust accounts into which the MVUC funds are deposited.  After almost one year from assuming office, the new Board reduced the unreconciled balances between the LTO collections and BTr certified deposits from P4.385 billion as of Sept. 26, 2016 to P607 million or 86.15 percent as of Aug. 24, 2017;

2. Issued memorandum circular to all Road Board officials and staff prohibiting transactions with contractors and other private persons in the preparation of project proposals for MVUC funding and the facilitation and approval of  funding requests and enjoining them that only duly authorized representatives of the project proponents may be given information on the status of their funding requests;

3. Sent letters to the members of the House of Representatives,  the Senate and the DPWH-District Engineering Offices (DEOs) informing them of the Board’s policy that no authority was granted to any individual to facilitate any approval and release of the corresponding funds.  We have requested NBI and other law enforcement agencies to investigate and file appropriate legal action against those individuals who have used spurious public documents to facilitate fund transfers;

To prevent  dissipation of MVUC funds and malfeasance in public office, the Office of the President is now exercising control and supervision over the Road Board. — PHILIP PALMA, Road Board Secretariat, Road Board, Quezon City