ILOILO City – No one from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6 showed up during yesterday’s Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) hearing called to tackle the agency’s controversial new system in vehicle registration.
Their absence was a waste of “democratic space” and tantamount to negligence of their duty as public officials, according to Councilor Romel Duron, chairman of the SP’s committee on transportation, energy and public utilities.
“Waay sila naga-ubra di sang ila obligasyon sa pumoluyo sa syudad kag probinsya sang Iloilo. Obligasyon ina nila [kay] ginaswelduhan sila sang gobyerno,” an incensed Duron pointed out yesterday.
Panay News tried to reach LTO-6 for comment but has yet to reply as of press time.
The city’s legislative body summoned the LTO-6 officials to discuss the impending implementation of its Memorandum Circular No. 2018-2158 that requires all vehicles to undergo and pass inspection in accredited motor vehicle inspection centers prior to registration.
According to Duron, LTO-6 assistant director Arturo Apolinar initially confirmed his attendance to the SP hearing scheduled around 2 p.m.
It was, however, too late when the councilor received communication from Apolinar, saying he was not allowed to attend public hearings.
Apolinar, according to Duron, cited Director Eric Lenard Tabaldo’s office order dated Feb. 4 designating Atty. Allan Sacramento, LTO-6 operation division acting chief, “to act as official representative on matters pertaining to the general operations of the regional office.”
Sacramento was directed to hold and/or accept requests for radio and television interviews to clarify any and all issues pertaining to present and upcoming LTO programs.
But he also failed to show up. Duron said he tried to contact Sacramento but failed.
Duron called the LTO-6 officials’ absence unfortunate as they missed their chance to air their side.
They were given a second chance to attend the next hearing in their time and date of convenience.
But Duron warned to escalate the issue to the LTO central office if local officials failed to attend the next hearing.
“Ireklamo ta sila sa babaw to the extent nga ipa-deklarar ta sila nga persona non grata,” Duron said. “Dapat islan ang wala naga-obra.”
Various groups, transport associations and local leaders were up in arms against the LTO directive.
Citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, legislative bodies here, in Iloilo province and Roxas earlier adopted resolutions asking the LTO to reconsider its plan.
Reacting to these apprehensions, Tabaldo recently insisted the public needed to see the “reasonableness of the inspections,” claiming that this would even help reduce injuries and deaths from road crashes.
Come May this year, LTO-6, Tabaldo said in an earlier interview, will start enforcing Memorandum Circular No. 2018-2158.
Under LTO’s new motor vehicle registration system, not less than 60 parts of the vehicle must pass the inspection./PN
