By Jun Ramirez
Executive Director Romeo Vera Cruz of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is facing criminal and administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) in connection with the controversial procurement of driver's license cards.
The Anti-Trapo Movement (ATM) of the Philippines filed the complaint after the respondent repeatedly ignored its request for a copy of documents regarding the LTO's multi-million-peso project.
Leon Peralta, ATM president, said the respondent who also heads the bids and awards committee (BAC) had refused to act on their request even as the BAC secretariat declared that the papers will only be made available upon the approval by Vera Cruz.
"It is now clear that the LTO-BAC is hiding something that they do not want the public to know," Peralta said.
The respondent was specifically charged with violations of the Anti-Red Tape Act, the People's Constitutional Right to Information (EO No. 2) and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.
ATM claimed the BAC is poised to award the said project to its favored supplier, after the offers of two other bidders were rejected.
It said "awarding the project to the third bidder will mean an additional expense for the government of almost P100 million, which will be shouldered by the Filipino taxpayers."