New chief says LTO won't go back to manual processing

Manila, Philippines - Newly installed Land Transportation Office officer-in-charge (OIC) Racquel Desiderio assured the public Wednesday the LTO will not revert to manual processing of driver’s licenses and motor vehicle registration.

In a conference with LTO regional directors during the 99th anniversary of the agency on Wednesday, Desiderio said she will honor the LTO’s obligations to information technology contractor Stradcom Corp., provided that all documents have been verified and processed according to the terms and conditions of the build-operate-own (BOO) agreement.  

Under the BOO, Stradcom has linked and automated nearly 300 LTO field offices nationwide and built an information database at no cost to the government, getting its return on investment through collecting computer fees during the 10-year contract period that started in 1998.

Desiderio was named as LTO OIC when controversial LTO chief Virginia Torres was ordered to go on a leave by President Aquino, after the Department of Justice recommended the filing of administrative charges against her in connection with a failed illegal takeover of Stradcom’s central operations center in December 2010.

Stradcom filed a complaint against her for allegedly conspiring with a group led by businessmen Bonifacio Sumbilla and Aderito Yujuico in the takeover.