The Land Transportation Office (LTO) came under fire Monday from Senator Grace Poe for issuing an official LTO directive via Viber suspending mandatory vehicle inspection by the LTO’s Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVICs).
Poe, chairperson of the franchise-screening Senate Committee on Public Services, slammed LTO’s “indecorum” in issuing the Viber directive as “unprofessional.”
In a news statement, the senator raised the issue of indecorum in the LTO directive suspending mandatory vehicle inspection by PMVICs.
Poe protested the “indecorum of the Land Transportation Office” in failing to issue an official memorandum that inspection by PMVICs remains optional and not mandatory, resulting in confusion and chaos among motorists in the different regions.
“That is very unprofessional. Ano ba naman ’yung isang page na ipa-type ninyo, ipa-press release na ninyo kung hindi niyo mapaabot o ma-email sa mga regional directors ninyo,” said Poe as she asked the LTO to release the said memo within the day.
At a Senate finance subcommittee hearing on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) budget, Poe questioned the priority of LTO “if it’s really bent on ensuring the roadworthiness of vehicles or it is just, in fact, helping line other people’s pockets with its disregard for due process.”
“Talagang importante ang roadworthiness,” the senator stressed. Pero kung ipagpipilitan nila yung PMVIC ngayon, the very least they can do is increase the number of operational PMVICs by opening the bidding and making the process transparent. Hindi ’yung parang nagulat na lang tayo na may mga may-ari na,” added Poe.
The senator referred to the questionable bidding of the PMVICs that didn’t go through due process normally required of a public-private partnership.
She noted that while there are currently 808 Private Emission Testing Centers (PETCs) nationwide, only 72 PMVICs are in operation out of the 114 that have been granted a provisional authority to operate.
Poe described the PMVICs as a big mall compared to PETCs that are like sari-sari stores, which are less modernized but only meet minimum standards.
“Parang nangyayari ngayon, sinasabi doon lang kayo mamalengke sa malalaking mall. Papaano naman ako na nakatira sa baryo, pinakamalapit lang sa akin ay sari-sari store? Papupuntahin niyo ako sa bayan na malayo para lang mamalengke kahit na pwede naman dito,” Poe explained.
The senator asked for the intervention of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, who himself admitted that there is a lapse in communication within the agency and agreed with Poe that PMVICs should not be mandatory and motorists should have the freedom to exercise their option.