LTO’s C. Visayas director faces probes

CEBU CITY — The regional director of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is in hot water.

The office of LTO-Central Visayas director Porferio Mendoza will now be the subject of separate investigations by LTO director Edgardo Abenina and the Office of the Ombudsman.

The twin investigations come on the heels of reports that came out in The Freeman that certain employees at the LTO regional office have hired outsiders, using their own money, to perform official functions without the benefit of public accountability.

Mendoza himself has identified at least one member of his staff, Teresita Rosco, as having hired two outsiders. He ordered Rosco last Monday to fire them after they were found to have tampered with receipts to the detriment of the government.

Mendoza, however, insisted there was nothing wrong in hiring outsiders, whom he called "volunteers," "provided they would not commit any irregularities.

Mendoza even went on to say it was all right for these volunteers to receive "gifts" from the public as long as they did not demand them.

Docketed for inquiry

The Ombudsman and Abenina, however, think otherwise. Ombudsman director Virginia Palanca Santiago said she has recommended the case to be docketed for inquiry, as approved by Deputy Ombudsman Primo Miro.

Santiago said the inquiry will determine if there was conspiracy, laxity, negligence or irregularities on the part of the LTO employees or the regional director himself.

Santiago said reports in The Freeman will be used as basis for the complaint.

Abenina, on the other hand, told The Freeman in a telephone interview from his office in Manila that the practice will never be tolerated.

He said he discovered a similar practice right in his own office shortly after he took over the LTO early this year and that all those who were illegally hired had all been fired.

"I will have them all dismissed immediately," Abenina promised, referring to the outsiders hired by LTO employees at the regional office here.

Abenina said not only those who were hired illegally will be fired, but possibly even the LTO employees who hired them.

"If these LTO employees cannot explain to me satisfactorily why they are doing this, they too will be properly charged," he said.

No CSC action

But while the Ombudsman and Abenina have chosen to act swiftly on the matter, Civil Service Commission (CSC) regional director Tomas Ramos said he cannot act on it in the absence of any formal complaint filed with his office.

Ramos, however, warned Mendoza that the practice of hiring outsiders constitutes a "very high risk" for himself. He said if these non-LTO employees get caught committing irregularities, Mendoza will have to be held responsible.

Mendoza had called the practice a "necessary evil" which could be allowed to go on for as long as the "volunteers" would not commit any irregularities.

Mendoza said the practice had been tolerated long before he became regional director because of an acute lack of personnel.

He said that since 1997, his office was only allowed to hire 150 employees and the number has not changed despite the fact that transactions have increased by 100 percent.

Abenina, however, is adamant. "Something that is illegal cannot be made legal. These people were hired illegally. They were hired without any legal authority."

As to Rosco, who is in charge of issuing plates and stickers to motor vehicle owners and who had paid her two "volunteers" with her own money, Abenina was flabbergasted.

"She must be a millionaire. Can you believe that?," Abenina said.

Rosco was reportedly not around when The Freeman tried to get her comment on the issue.