Land Transportation Office (LTO) head Virginia Torres still enjoys the full confidence and trust of President Benigno Aquino III but she needs to act faster on the issues hounding her agency. “Yes, she does [enjoy my full confidence and trust], but at the same time, there are so many things that have come to light with regards to the LTO and I would like her to act on them faster rather than later," the President told reporters during his visit to Bacolod City. Aquino, however, admitted that he has yet to get complete information on the recommendation of the Department of Justice, where a fact-finding committee wants Torres fired from her post for her alleged complicity in the Stradcom mess. (See: DOJ wants LTO chief sacked for takeover of Stradcom HQ) “I'm meeting with the DOJ secretary this afternoon and the DOTC [Department of Transportation and Communications] secretary, I'd better wait for the details, I don't want to make a mistake," he said. He said he was informed that criminal charges against Torres seem unwarranted. “But administrative [case], yes, so I think there is a recommendation for a suspension. Let me get the details from both secretaries when I get back to Manila," he said.
He said Torres should do something on the issue of carnapping and lapses in the vehicle registration process which carnapping syndicates take advantage of. Aquino said quite a number of LTO personnel are set to be suspended and charged before the courts after a joint investigation conducted by the DOJ and the Department of Interior and Local Government found evidence against them. At the minimum, “those that have already engendered doubt and they seemed to be involved in so many instances for instance of fraudulent registration will be removed from the office at the very least subject to the civil services rule and place to a position that he can't do any harm," the President explained.—Amita O. Legaspi/JV
