Torres knows how LTO registers stolen vehicles

CAN OF WORMS: Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo will have to cross over and dig deeper to carry out President Aquino’s order for him to root out the accomplices of the carjacking syndicates at the Land Transportation Office which registers all motor vehicles.

Robredo will have to coordinate first with Transportation Secretary Ping de Jesus since the LTO is not under the DILG but under the Department of Transportation and Communications. But that should not be a problem since their common goal is to stop corruption and improve public service.

Then, Robredo will have to check on, or check with, no less than the LTO chief herself, Assistant DoTC Secretary Virgie Torres, who was handpicked by the President to head the motor vehicles office. This time, there could be a problem.

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HUMAN FACTOR: Considering the computerized network of checks and controls thrown into the registration of motor vehicles, carjacking should not go beyond a cops and robbers chase. Once the thieves attempt to register stolen vehicles, the tight LTO system is supposed to catch them.

But the weak element in the system is, as usual, the human factor. The syndicates have people within LTO who, for a fat fee, tamper with records and re-register the stolen vehicles before they are sold.

To pin down these LTO insiders on the payroll of carjackers, Robredo will find Torres — an old hand in the agency — a valuable resource person.

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TARLAC CASE: Torres can start by explaining a report of the Philippine National Police in 2009 on her alleged involvement in the “mis-registration” of a Mitsubishi Pajero when she was still head of the LTO Tarlac district office.

The PNP Highway Patrol Group Cordillera narrated in a report dated May 7, 2009, how a Pajero — one of the favorites of carjackers — was recovered in Baguio City.

The Pajero was recovered from a Samuel A. Fernandez of JD 202 Bayabas Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet. It was originally registered in LTO Roxas, Isabela, and the registration was transferred to LTO Tarlac which issued it a personalized plate number (RJP 111).

Officials said, however, that an LTO district office like Tarlac has no authority to issue a personalized plate.

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RECORDS MESS: Investigators discovered that the file number of the Pajero’s documents (0232-00000009279) was officially issued to a Honda motorcycle by LTO Roxas under the name of Josefina Razon of Victoria, Tarlac, and that LTO Roxas had no record on the van.

Pressed by the police, LTO Tarlac under Virgie Torres reportedly admitted that there was no certificate of registration from LTO Roxas for the Pajero.

The police noted that as a general procedure for changing the venue of registration of a vehicle, there should first be a request for confirmation from the LTO office where the registration is being transferred (in this case LTO Tarlac) to the LTO office where the vehicle was originally registered (LTO Roxas).

LTO Tarlac reportedly failed to do this in the case of the Pajero.

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ACCOMMODATING: Further investigation reportedly showed that the Pajero was transferred under the name of a Dimsy Yap of Upper Tomay, La Trinidad, Benguet, which the police questioned.

The police asked why Yap, who is from La Trinidad, registered the vehicle with LTO Tarlac when there were two LTO offices in the Cordillera region - LTO Trinidad Benguet and LTO Baguio City.

Maybe Torres the insider can help by explaining to Robredo — and to the President — why LTO Tarlac seemed more accommodating than other LTO offices in registering the Pajero and presumably other vehicles with questionable documentation.

Most people think they know the reason for this, but it would be interesting to hear from Torres herself.

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OIL OGRES: Under industry deregulation, are we really that helpless against the oil ogres who jack up fuel prices within the week of CNN reporting a rise in the global quotation of oil but take their sweet time reducing pump prices when crude costs fall?

It is inconceivable that the Congress, in passing the Oil Deregulation Law (RA 8479), had in mind surrendering public interest to the commercial interests of the oil giants. Has the government abdicated its power to regulate prices of prime commodities, one of which is fuel?

Last Tuesday, pump prices of diesel were suddenly increased by P1 per liter and of gasoline by 50 centavos — the third time it was done since the start of the new year.

Previous two increases this month had raised prices of gasoline by P1.25 per liter and of diesel, used by passenger vehicles, by P1.25 a liter.

Unleaded gasoline now costs P50 to P50.25 per liter, when it was only P41 per liter in January last year.

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30-DAY WAIT: The Arroyo administration may want to consider the suggestion of Sen. Ralph G. Recto for imposing a 30-day “waiting period” to give motorists and other users of oil products some breathing space before being hit by price spikes.

The Batangas lawmaker also said a “first in, first out” policy in the disposal of oil inventory should be observed to complement the 30-day price hike “waiting period.”

He explained that oil stock bought at lower prices or before any upward global price movement should be the first to be sold to the public.

Recto cited Executive Order 134, complementing RA 8479, that requires oil companies to maintain a minimum 15-day inventory of petroleum products, except for Liquefied Petroleum Gas which should have a seven-day inventory.

On the other hand, oil refiners (only Petron and Shell still operate refineries) are required to have an inventory equivalent to 30 days.

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