LTO to move back to Talisay City Hall

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) has directed the Land Transportation Office to move back its extension office in Talisay City to the city hall.

In a one-page memorandum dated Oct. 20, 2010, DoTC secretary Jose de Jesus directed LTO assistant secretary Virginia Torres "to comply with all the documentary requirements" in the transfer of the extension office from the South Central Square in barangay Lawaan III to the city hall.

Torres also sent a separate memorandum, bearing the same date, to LTO 7 director Raul Aguilos telling him to implement the order.

Aguilos, meanwhile, said his Nov. 11 letter to first district Rep. Eduardo Gullas has assured that the transfer "will be implemented as soon as all the improvements and computers are properly set up."

Gullas, in a press conference yesterday, said he expects the transfer to happen "as soon as possible" as what Aguilos has told him in his letter.

Gullas has been vocal in his opposition to the transfer of the LTO to the private commercial building of Mat Velasco, owner of South Central Square, last Nov. 2008.

He even threatened the DoTC last month that he would move to defer the approval of its budget as his way of manifesting his protest to the transfer.

Since the transfer however, the veteran lawmaker took steps to move the extension office back to the city hall, and although the LTO Central office has concurred with his contention, the attempts to transfer it to the city hall had been blocked by its regional office here.

The South Central Square may be providing free rent to the LTO office, but Gullas said the arrangement is still "disadvantageous to the government," apart from the fact that it is not that accessible to many residents.

Under the agreement, LTO pays for maintenance, telephone, water and security, whereas, when it was still operating at the city hall, it operated with all the expenses shouldered by the city government. And that the parking space was wide at the city hall's five-hectare property, compared to its new location where space is "meager," the congressman said.

Under the memorandum of agreement entered into by Mateo Velasco, representing Matvel Holdings Corp-owner of the private building, the LTO could use the building for free via a usufruct contract for 25 years.

The MOA was signed on May 14, 2007 by Velasco and then LTO-7 director Alex Leyson.

Gullas also said the agreement is "detrimental" to future investors as Velasco's company has "collared" all business transactions there from medical check-up for driver's license applications to smoke-emission testing for vehicle registration.

Reportedly, Velasco has threatened to sue LTO officials if they would breach the MOA.

But Gullas said he had expected the move. (FREEMAN)