“If Suansing regains the position of LTO chief, it will make Christmas merrier for a lot of motorists and commuters.”
by Ducky Paredes
In 2007, former PNP Chief Arturo Lomibao gave way to Congressman Jose de Venecia by not contesting the congressional elections in the Fourth District of Pangasinan. Lomibao was all set to run but was prevailed upon to delay his run for congress.
This time around, Lomibao, the current Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief is definitely running a congressional seat in Pangasinan. (Is it true that he was handpicked by President Arroyo to thwart bid for the same post of Joe de V’s wife, Gina?).
Many see this as a chance for Alberto Suansing, present head of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to return to his old post. If he does, he will bring with him a track record that would augur well for the LTO.
Suansing was actually among the best-ever LTO chiefs.
Among his achievements was the institution of the Certificate of Payment Authentication and Verification System (CPAVS). This system enables the agency to detect the registration of imported vehicles without having to procure the physical paperwork. The system easily detects dealings between smuggling syndicates and corrupt LTO officials. With the CPAVS in effect, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) was able to transmit Certificates of Payment to the LTO in real time.
This is how it works. Each certificate of Payment has a unique number to prevent duplication of engine and chassis number, while a hard copy of the document is kept for further verification.
Suansing also got rid of fixers, a breed of pest, which had become an institution in the LTO. There was a time when you could not transact any business with the LTO without using a fixer. Anyone entering an LTO office would always be welcomed by fixers, offering a variety of services, from expediting the processing of license renewals, to approvals or exemptions from smoke-belching tests. These fixers disappeared from sight during Suansing’s tenure.
It was also during Suansing’s time too that the LTO enforced ISO 9001: 2000 certification of its licensing procedure. The program was a quality assurance policy that made driver’s license renewal time shorter and more efficient. These days, renewal takes less than an hour— a far cry from not too long ago, when it took almost a day, sometimes weeks, to have one’s license renewed.
December is a time for rejoicing; but it also brings out the worst in some taxi drivers. It is during this period that cabbies become more arrogant and disrespectful, only accepting passengers if their destination is convenient for whatever route the cab driver has pre-determined. They also demand an atrocious amount from passengers. (Suansing once took a cab from the airport whose driver refused to use the taximeter and demanded P700 for the ride. Upon reaching the LTO, Suansing apprehended the driver and seized the taxicab.)
During his tenure as LTO chief, he initiated Oplan Isnabero, a project co-executed by the LTO and Department of Transportation and Communication. The initiative prosecuted taxi drivers who refused to take passengers or insisted on the kontrata system of charging fares– the bane of weary commuters everywhere.
Oplan Isnabero was enforced by traffic officials who were placed in malls and other transit terminals with instructions to arrest these choosy drivers. Erring cabbies were fined P1,000, suspended for one month and were obliged to attend a seminar on good driving etiquette.
Even crooked taxi operators were not spared under Oplan Isnabero’s jurisdiction. Fleet owners who were found in frequent violation of the project’s rules faced the possibility of having their franchise revoked.
If Suansing regains the position of LTO chief, it will make Christmas merrier for a lot of motorists and commuters.
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We have a letter: “Congratulations for being a very fair opinion writer not like others who are one-sided. They do not see well that the coin has two sides, the man and the eagle.
“Well, thank you so much for writing about Actor Edu Manzano. At least the Flipino people has now a glimpse of the credential of Mr. Manzano as vice president of the Republic of the Philippines.
“He is the most underestimated candidate for vice president. It is not because of his being a telelvision and movie star but because he is prepared to hold a much higher position such as that of the vice president.
“Mr. Manzano is well schooled and his family is from Negros although there are also Manzano family from other parts of the country. Aside from becoming a vice mayor of Makati City, he has also held position in the national government. Thus, he has both a good formal education and experience.
“So, he deserves to become the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines. He will give Senator Mar Roxas, Sen. Loren Legarda, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, a good fight.
“I will vote for Vice President Edu Manzano.” — Jose Maria Santiago
Iriga City, Camarines Sur
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“A leading member of the Bukluran ng Makabayang Manggagawa based in the industrial enclave of Valenzuela, who declined to be identified, chided the young senator for saying that he would fight for the rights and welfare of Filipino workers, and then leaving them holding an empty bag when he announced his resignation from the Nationalist People’s Coalition recently.
“’Pinabilib kami ni Chiz na ipagtatanggol niya ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa at mga mahihirap sa ating lipunan. Pero dahil sa biglaang pag-atras niya sa kaniyang partido at ngayo’y di malaman kung ano ang kanyang balak sa pulitika, mukhang pina-asa lamang niya kami sa wala,’ said the labor organizer.” – From a Press Release of the Bukluran.
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hvp 11.23.09
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