EDITORIAL- Retirement

Under investigation for playing in a casino, Virginia Torres announced yesterday she would retire as head of the Land Transportation Office at the end of the month, after 33 years of government service.

The announcement was made to clarify reports that she had been fired or forced to quit over a video that went viral recently, showing her playing the slot machines in a casino. When a photo of the incident circulated, Torres initially claimed she had merely sat down to rest at the gaming center. With the release of the video, she said the place was not a casino but merely a gaming arcade. A decade-old executive order bans government employees from playing in or even entering a casino.

It is not clear if the investigation of the incident will continue upon Torres’ retirement, and whether she will suffer penalties if found to have violated an executive order. Torres, who turned 60 in May this year, once served as LTO head in President Aquino’s home province of Tarlac and is known to be part of his close-knit circle of shooting buddies. Yesterday she said she discussed her decision to retire during a meeting with the President on Sept. 30, and they agreed that she would stay on until the end of October.

For motorists, a bigger concern is the quality of services in the LTO. There are growing complaints about the failure of the agency to issue vehicle registration stickers and even license plates. Did vehicle owners pay for ghost items? With people still waiting for the plates and stickers, the LTO has announced plans to recall all license plates for replacement with new ones. Carjackers and vehicle smugglers plus their cohorts in the LTO who issue new registration papers for hot cars will have a field day.

Even the issuance of drivers’ licenses has slowed down. At one point during the Arroyo administration, the LTO received ISO certification and processing of a driver’s license took only about half an hour. Today, even with the mandatory drug testing abolished, the total processing time from filling out an application form to the issuance of the driver’s license takes two hours.

With Torres’ looming departure, the public expects improvements in LTO services. The bar is set rather low and there should be no other way to go but up.