LTO and the case of plate numbers

There is no doubt that the grandiose pork barrel scams that has plagued the Aquino government has taken our focus from the many other problems that unfortunately our government institutions cannot even find ways to solve. I guess it is due to the fact that patronage politics always takes its toll whenever there is a change in government. This is exactly what happened to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) which all of the sudden  could not even come up with new plate numbers for new vehicles. This was never a problem in past administrations, but suddenly under President Aquino, they created a problem for themselves.

Of course, after nearly a year having no new plate numbers, finally the LTO has solved this problem. But many problems still persist. But at least the most embarrassing problem that recently plagued the LTO was the case of LTO Chief Virginia Torres who is expected to quit by month’s end. While in the midst of the pork barrel scam, a photo of the LTO Chief was shown in the social networking sites sitting in front of a slot machine, which is a huge “no-no” for public officials. But the LTO Chief protested that she was only mesmerized by the blinking lights. But obviously she lied to the press in order to save her neck.

Finally, no less than P-Noy himself could no longer keep her “Kabarilan” in his administration as the situation was already embarrassing enough and quite indefensible even for the President. Hence, finally she’s on her way out; though she insists that she is not quitting, but retiring. Call it a last ditch effort to save face. Come now, who retires from government service after only three short years huh? Call it one down, but many more top Aquino officials need to go.

This is the problem with our political patronage system, where supporters of the winning President gets plum and juicy positions like the LTO. Actually, these positions are hardly plum and juicy, unless someone has a hidden agenda… like making a hefty profit on plate numbers or through graft and corruption. In the end, the new heads of government agencies come into the picture with nary an idea of how to make things better in that government organization. In the end, they merely continue with the old corrupt system that has been in place since time immemorial. 

Cases in point are plate numbers in this country. In the good old days when things use to work in this nation, vehicle plate numbers were very clearly defined. Plate numbers were by province, which was the right thing to do. But somehow this was replaced with confusing letters and numbers and eventually, thanks to corruption, one can obtain a plate number from as faraway as Ilocos Norte. Even the number 8 plate number of members of the House of Representatives had the name of the District where it belonged.

If you ask me, the best example for plate numbers to follow are the ones that they use in the United States of America, which are color coded, plus it indicates the State where the vehicle belongs. But in this country, they placed the inscription “Pilipinas” from 1981, the Philippines 2000 from the year 1995 to 2000, then Perlas ng Silangan in 2001, then Angat Pinoy in 2004 and Matatag na Republika in 2003 to present. If you ask me… all this is a lot of bull! Everyone knows that we are in the Philippines. Plate numbers should be used mainly for information purposes… not to promote a Presidential slogan or propaganda. Thank God, at least the Aquino regime did not put their “Matuwid na Daan” in our plate numbers!

Still on LTO issues. Out of the blue, the feisty Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago came up with a “Taxi Passengers Bill of Rights” because she said that “There are too many disturbing reports of taxi drivers and operators who take advantage of their passengers, from mere discomfort or discourtesy to robbery and physical harm. It’s high time this transport sector shapes up. We need to enact a law to protect our commuting public, citizens and tourists alike from predatory practices of some taxi drivers and operators and raise the service standard. By doing so, we would establish better public perception of the taxi service industry in general.”

I’m all for this proposed bill. After all, whenever I’m in Manila, I always refuse the offers of friends to use their vehicles because taking a taxicab is much easier for me… and if I need to go to far areas, there is always the Light Rail Transit (LRT) or Metro Rail Transit (MRT). But my biggest beef about taxi drivers happen during rush hour when you finally get to see an empty cab, who ask you where you are going and if they find it too far or too near, they’ll refuse you outright. Anyway, let’s see what Sen. Santiago has in mind for her Taxi Passengers Bill of Rights. But I would like to believe that taxi drivers should have a separate training before they are allowed to drive a taxicab and it should not be conducted by the LTO.

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Email: vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com