The Philippine Department of Transportation (DOTr) has intensified its crackdown on corrupt officials and employees working at its central office and attached agencies.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade vowed to continue going after corrupt employees and making sure they face the full brunt of the law. This after he relieved all personnel at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Nueva Vizcaya for reportedly extorting money from rice traders.
“Kung hindi kayo involved, ’wag na kayo ma-involve. Kung involved kayo, umalis na kayo ngayon. ’Wag niyo nang hintayin na tanggalin ko kayo dahil wala akong sasantuhin [If you’re not involved, don’t get involved. If you’re involved, leave now. Don’t wait for me to remove you because I will not spare anyone],” Tugade said in a statement.
The transportation chief added that he will not let corrupt personnel destroy the good name that the DOTr is striving to build for itself.
“Ayaw ko ng magnanakaw, at hindi ko hahayaan na masira ng iilan ang imahe ng DOTr (I don’t like thieves and I won’t allow some to destroy the image of the DOTr),” he added.
DOTr relieved on April 6 all personnel assigned at the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) Bayombong District Office and Aritao Extension Office, both in Nueva Vizcaya, following reports from rice traders of alleged extortion activities at these branches.
The deputation orders and Temporary Operator’s Permit (TOPs) issued to Department of Public Works and Highways personnel manning the weigh bridge in Aritao were also cancelled.
Based on the complaints raised by some rice traders and truckers, several LTO personnel in the area allegedly earn as much as P1 million a day from over a thousand trucks from Cagayan Valley bringing agricultural products out of the region. The complaint was brought to the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte himself during a meeting in Malacañang.
DOTr has also placed Victor Torrefiel, administrative aide VI of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), under a 90-day preventive suspension for grave misconduct and dishonesty.
Initial investigation revealed that Torrefiel allegedly committed several irregularities in the canvassing of price quotations from non-existing suppliers to procure goods and vehicle services. He is also being investigated on charges of falsifying official documents and accumulating unexplained wealth. A show cause order dated April 5, 2018 has already been issued against Torrefeil.
Engr. Jose Budiongan, area manager for Area Center X of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), has likewise been slapped with a 60-day preventive suspension order for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
The charges involve allegedly extorting a monthly allowance of P5,000 from Skycap porters in Laguindingan airport; malversation of public funds or property through undertaking anomalous repainting of runway and road signs; failure to maintain government property under his custody; taking a fire truck intended for use in Pagadian airport to Laguindingan; and operating a pasalubong center inside the airport. The order was served April 11.
Last January, Tugade ordered administrative charges against Engr. Roberto Delfin, a supervising transportation and development officer assigned to the DOTr Road Transport Planning Division, for allegedly accepting bribes from a transport cooperative.
Delfin was initially slapped with a 90-day preventive suspension order. He purportedly received, through aide Narciso Lim, P150,000 in exchange for DOTr’s supposedly favorable action on New Sunrise Transport Cooperative’s (NTSC) application for a route measure capacity.
On April 10, DOTr issued a dismissal order against Delfin after a thorough investigation found him guilty of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Eleven job order personnel from DOTr’s Environmentally Sustainable Initiative Transportation Unit were also removed from service after they were found to have tampered with their employment contracts to increase their salaries.
Joel Torres and Mark Victor, both job order personnel assigned to the monitoring unit of Private Emission Testing Centers (PETCs) and under DOTr’s Investigation and Security Law Enforcement Staff , were fired April 2 due to suspected corruption activities and undue association with erring PETCs, and to some extent, IT providers.
In addition, since February 2018, all personnel suspected of receiving money, gifts, or other favors from PETCs and IT providers have been relieved of their responsibilities from the PETC Monitoring Unit, DOTr said.
Tugade warned transportation employees that punishment does not stop with those who conduct corrupt practices. Those who keep quiet about these activities are equally liable.
“If they see someone inept, if they see someone stealing, but did not speak, they are equally guilty,” Tugade said.
The crackdown is an effort to curb corruption in government, while promoting transparency and accountability.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
