LTO accuses IT provider of jeopardizing government reforms

MANILA, Philippines - Land Transportation Office head Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres yesterday accused the agency’s IT provider, Stradcom Corp., of being engaged in “childing tantraums” to jeopardize the government’s move to institutionalize reforms in the agency.

Torres tagged as a “nuisance suit” the criminal and administrative cases being planned by Stradcom Corp. against her for allegedly conspiring with a group that took over the firm’s building last week. She had denied the allegation.“What I did was simply to implement the order of Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose de Jesus that the data base on vehicle registration and drivers’ licenses, which was kept in the building, will remain unharmed,” she said.

“My job here is to improve the services of the LTO. We can only be effective if we can have a comprehensive review of all the agency’s operations. We cannot just allow the law to be violated and we must ensure that the welfare of the taxpayers are being protected, “ Torres said in a statement.

Torres said no entity within the agency “should feel that it is an independent republic that is off-limits to oversight.” She said the LTO has found violations of the firm’s 10-year contract allegedly committed by the company.

Torres said what she did was “to step in, defuse an explosive situation and prevent the destruction of records and violence from breaking out.” “I am not here to take sides. Problema nila yan. Ang sa amin lang sa LTO, kung ano responsibilidad nila sa gobyerno at sa taongbayan dapat gampanan nila. Hindi dapat kami madamay sa kanilang gulo,” she said.

She laughed off Stradcom ‘s threat to file criminal charges against her, saying she felt “like an innocent civilian sideswiped by two racing motorbikes” and that “harassment goes with the job.”