EDITORIAL - Long wait for paid goods

The mishandling of the police commando raid in Mamasapano, Maguindanao has been largely blamed for the plunge in the approval and trust ratings of President Aquino. But there are other factors that have contributed to the dissatisfaction, and surely among them is the long wait for driver’s licenses, vehicle license plates and registration stickers.

The administration has not sufficiently explained that blame for this must be shared by other offices outside the executive department. But even if the explanation is given, motorists fume when they remember the efficiency in the previous administration. Last Thursday the Department of Transportation and Communications announced that it was inviting bids for the P450-million contract to supply driver’s license cards.

It’s uncertain if the bidding will push through. The bidding was supposed to have taken place way back in December 2010 at the start of the Aquino administration. But a company that had supplied the cards since 1984 sought and got a temporary restraining order on the bidding from the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in February 2011.

The Land Transportation Office said the company’s supply arrangement had not been covered by a contract for several years now. The Quezon City RTC issued another injunction in 2012, which the Court of Appeals lifted. The Commission on Audit, meanwhile, has refused to approve further payments to the company in the absence of what government auditors consider as a valid contract.

This is not the only problem motorists face. After a long wait for license plates in recent years, all vehicle owners have been advised to get new plates and pay extra for them. While those renewing vehicle registration will get the same alphanumeric combination, the new plates, according to transport officials, have tamper-resistant locks and screws to prevent removal, and reflector sheeting for improved visibility. The fees will also cover a “third plate” windshield sticker.

Even with the courts and COA playing a role, the executive branch is getting the brunt of public anger, which these days is compounded by regular glitches in the overhead railway systems. The judiciary is an independent and co-equal branch and the COA is a constitutional body. Still, many people expect the executive to do the necessary coordination for the efficient delivery of public services.

President Aquino said he ordered proper coordination in the Mamasapano raid, which was disobeyed. Among other things, he can issue a similar order in transport services – and make sure it is carried out. People believe he can do more to sort out this mess.