Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez on Wednesday urged Land Transportation Office chief Assistant Secretary Edgar C. Galvante to quit his post over the agency’s apparent failure to solve the prevailing problem on the issuance of vehicle-registration plates.
At a news conference following the hearing of the House Committee on Transportation over several pending bills affecting the transportation sector, Alvarez said Galvante must step down to give way for a “more capable” LTO chief to address the problem.
“The problem of the car-plate backlog is a relatively simple matter to address, and the fact that it still persists until today means Galvante is not fit for the job as head of the LTO. [Galvante has been occupying the position] for more than one year now. The most logical thing for you [Galvante] to do is to resign,” the house speaker said.
“As former DOTC [Department of Transportation and Communications] head, I could not see any reason [for the delay]. [The] license-plate mess is not a major problem and can easily be resolved,” he added. The speaker said it is one of the issues President Duterte had raised when he was campaigning for the presidency.
Duterte had lamented that it takes years before car owners can obtain their license plates.
“Assistant Secretary Galvante [should] resign so the President can appoint a person who could do the job,” he said.
Alvarez said Galvante, who was invited to the hearing, was not present and did not present the official next in rank who would be able to answer questions from the committee. According to LTO representative lawyer Jane Paras Leynes, Galvante is in a hospital for a medical treatment.
In defense of the LTO, Leynes said the agency’s bids and awards committee is currently in the process of procuring car plates to address the backlog. She said the LTO expects to finalize the procurement of the car plates by the end of the first quarter of 2018.
According to the LTO official, the procurement process was delayed because there is no budget for car-plate procurement for the year 2016 and 2017 as the last procurement contract in 2014 covers car-plate supply until 2018. Unfortunately, the deal was questioned before the courts.
However, Alvarez said Galvante should have taken the initiative and sought realignment of LTO budget for the purpose immediately after his appointment as LTO chief.
The speaker clarified, though, that there is nothing personal against Galvante.
Earlier, the Commission on Audit had ruled that the license plate deal between the LTO and the Plates Development Concepts Inc.—J, Knieriem BV—Goes Philippines Inc (PPI-JKG) is in violation of the procurement law.
The PPI-JKG bagged the P3.8-billion contract to supply the LTO with car plates in 2013 during the administration of former President Noynoy Aquino.