LTO-7 moves to rid itself of corrupt practices

CEBU, Philippines —  In line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s mission to rid the government of corruption, the Land Transportation Office-7 has taken steps to eradicate corrupt activities in all LTO offices within the region.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade commended the ongoing efforts of the LTO in Central Visayas, especially its measures against graft and corruption that aim to regain the public’s trust in the agency’s services.

Tugade said he hopes that these measures will strengthen public trust in the agency.

“We welcome the anti-corruption initiatives of LTO Region VII. It is our hope that these measures will strengthen public trust in the agency. We reiterate that corruption of any form will not be tolerated, and those who will be found guilty shall face the full extent of the law,” said Tugade in a press statement.

Among the steps taken by the regional agency was the filing of a complaint against former LTO Talisay Extension chief Engr. Bernardo Borromeo Jr. before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas last year for alleged corrupt practices.

LTO-7 Director Victor Caindec said that the measures they have taken to regain public trust are just the first in a continuing process to free their regional office from corruption.

Aside from going after alleged corrupt officials, LTO-7 is also now actively seeking the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation in endorsing reports and hotline complaints regarding “fixing” activities.

Complaint letters forwarded to the NBI led to the arrest of four individuals, including one former employee at the LTO Tagbilaran District Office, who was found to have manufactured and distributed fake licenses. All individuals’ cases have been filed and are pending in court.

In pursuit of transparency and accountability, several office orders and memoranda were also issued by Caindec to enforce rules of procedure in various office transactions, reminding their ranks that corruption will not be tolerated within the jurisdiction of LTO-7.

From January 2018 to March 2019, LTO officers and employees have been reshuffled seven times to prevent familiarity and corruption issues, a measure approved by LTO chief assistant secretary Edgar Galvante.

To declog office transactions in district offices and eliminate backlogs in license printing, LTO-7 has also opened four temporary offsite printing offices, with two offices at SM Seaside City Cebu, one at Robinsons Galleria, and one at Island Central Mactan Cebu.

Additionally, three new licensing centers were opened to disrupt operations of fixers surrounding LTO offices.

These licensing centers are under a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement, at no cost to LTO-7.

Meanwhile, addressing concerns that the public might be prompted to entertain fixers due to discomfort and inconvenience in LTO offices, air-conditioning in waiting areas was improved to provide better comfort.

Caindec said he will continually improve services and monitor their employees to ensure zero corruption in all district offices.

“The measures we have taken to regain public trust are just the first in a continuing process to free our regional office from corruption. The Filipinos deserve an honest and efficient government agency,” Caindec said. — JMD (FREEMAN)