Preventive suspension order issued vs Torres' aide

MANILA, Philippines - Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose “Ping” de Jesus issued on Friday the preventive suspension order and served formal administrative charges against the chief aide of Land Transportation Office chief, Virginia Torres, in connection with their role during the illegal takeover of the central operations center of Stradcom Corp. last Dec. 9, 2010.

Ordered suspended for 90 days and filed with charges of “gross negligence of duty, and/or inefficiency, and/or incompetence” was Menelia Mortel, Torres’ head executive assistant.

In the “formal charge served against Mortel on Friday, De Jesus said “this office has found, after preliminary investigation that a prima facie case exists against you for gross negligence of duty and inefficiency and/or incompetence in the performance of official duties pursuant to Executive Order 292 known as the Administrative Code of 1987 and CIvil Service Resolution No. 99-1936”.

De Jesus’ suspension order was in line with the Department of Justice’s recommendation regarding the failed takeover of Stradcom Corp. on Dec. 9, 2010, wherein it recommended the dismissal of Torres and the filing of the same administrative charges against her, during which she was recommended to be put under preventive suspension.  

These charges were based on the recently concluded DOJ Fact Finding report which found sufficient evidence to charge both Mortel and her boss, Torres of conniving with a group led by businessman Bonifacio Sumbilla who temporarily took over the Stradcom building on Dec. 9, 2010 and resulted in the paralysis of LTO operations nationwide for several hours.

The DOJ recommended that both Torres and Mortel be charged and immediately suspended from their respective positions based on the very strong evidence presented against them regarding their complicity in the failed take over.  

The charges and suspension order against Mortel comes a month after the DOJ report was released.  

Torres, meanwhile, remains as LTO chief because the DOTC claims that they cannot touch her and only Malacañang has the power and authority to act regarding her case. Malacañang has yet to issue any order regarding Torres’ suspension and/or the filing of charges against her.

Torres was handpicked by President Aquino and is a known friend from Tarlac, as well as a shooting buddy of the President.

Last week, Congress, in a hearing conducted by the Committee on Transportation, lambasted Torres for her connivance in the failed takeover and renewed calls for her suspension or resignation.  

According to House Transportation Committee Chairman, Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, Torres “must save the President from further embarrassment and immediately resign from her post”.  

“She has already caused tremendous damage to the institution and should be taken out of her office immediately. The DOJ recommendations must be respected and enforced,” Mercado, a former DOTC executive, said.