ILOILO City – Director Roland Ramos of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Western Visayas is ready to be lifestyle-checked.
“If your money is hard-earned, wala kang ikatatakot. Pinagpawisan and pinaghirapan mo ‘yan e,” said Ramos.
In line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s anticorruption drive, the LTO central office ordered a lifestyle check on its officials.
LTO has long been bugged by allegations of corruption.
Ramos said he would willingly submit his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth as part of the lifestyle check “to show that there’s no corruption in my office.”
In a letter to his entire staff, LTO chief Edgar Galvante ordered on Tuesday the administrative and finance divisions of both the central office in Manila and its regional counterparts to submit their SALNs and income tax returns by Aug. 16.
He also asked the public to report irregularities they witness or experience in LTO offices.
“This serves as a reminder to all LTO officials and employees to remain straight and honest public servants,” Galvante said.
The LTO was among the agencies criticized by President Rodrigo Duterte in his recent State of the Nation Address for corruption and inefficient service. It and the Social Security System, Land Registration Authority, Bureau of Internal Revenue and Home Development Mutual Fund needed to “drastically” improve their services, he stressed.
“Simplify. May I, andito ba kayo? Simplify. Just like the others, you can do it electronically. You don’t have to go to the office. I have been asking that from you since three years ago,” Duterte said.
“Kapag hindi niyo pa nagawa ‘yan ngayon, papatayin ko talaga kayo. Nabubuwisit na ako,” he added./PN