New LTO chief Mendoza wants to rid agency from fixers

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has always been haunted by bad image due to years of red tape and blatant corruption in many of its offices. New LTO chief, Atty. Vigor Mendoza II, has announced that he is committed to protecting the integrity of the agency and that the “palakasan system” that was aggravated by the presence of fixers, will be over.

This, he said, is in relation to the mandate of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista on the need to protect the integrity of the LTO from individuals who could taint its image by boasting that they could help bend the rules of all transactions in the agency through their connections.

Mendoza issued the statement following the arrest of a 37-year-old Muntinlupa resident who was arrested after posing as a Liaison Officer from the Office of the President to collect more than P500,000 from an applicant for motor vehicle registration in the LTO.

He said a renewed crackdown was also launched against fixers which resulted in the arrest of nine people during an operation in Novaliches, Quezon City.

“These people (fixers) don’t help with our image. They destroy our integrity and our public image,” said Mendoza.

Mendoza, in his speech, added that change must come now not only for the LTO, but also its suppliers that deal with the agency. “If we are to be…if we are to project an image a new LTO now, it has to extend not only to ourselves but also to the people dealing with us,” he added.

Since he took the helm as LTO Chief, Mendoza has been pushing for the effective delivery of services to the public, including addressing the backlog on driver’s licenses and license plates.