Cayetano: DOTC and LTO heads must go

VP bet dares gov't to show there are no sacred cows in government

By Office of the Senate Majority Leader
March 31, 2016

PASAY CITY – "From special screws, overcharging of non delivered stickers, late license plates and no available driver's license, frequent MRT breakdowns, abandoned license plates at Customs, and now stolen plate sheets?"

This was the reaction of vice presidential bet and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on the reported disappearance of some P4-million worth of license plate sheets from the facility of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) during the Holy Week break.

"Wala na ngang mga plaka na maibigay ang LTO sa mga motorista, pinanakaw pa ang mga materyales sa paggawa nito. Abot langit na ang kapalpakan at gulo na ito. Hindi ko alam saan kumukuha ng tibay ng apog ang mga opisyales na ito para manatili pa sa kanilang mga pwesto," Cayetano said.

The senator called for the firing and/or resignation of Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya and LTO Chief Roberto Cabrera. He lamented the silence and lack of action on the part of the national government on the issue, particularly the DOTC, which is the mother agency of LTO.

"There should be no sacred cows! Kawawa naman mga ordinaryong empleyado ng mga ahensiyang ito na ilang taon nang tumatanggap ng galit at puna mula sa publiko. Pero ang mga opisyales naman talaga nila ang may problema," Cayetano said. “If there’s still some delikadeza and command responsibility left in Abaya and Cabrera, I demand that they immediately vacate their posts and let more capable individuals do their jobs," he added.

Cayetano said that if he and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte, will be elected, they will cleanse the government's transportation agencies such as the LTO, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the DOTC, of corruption and ineptitude.

"How can we expect this government to protect the people if they can't even protect metal sheets? And yet they want continuity? Mayor Duterte and I will not allow the ineptitude and corruption to continue. This will all stop," Cayetano said.