HOUSE Minority Leader Edcel Lagman dared President Aquino on Monday to make a forthright disclosure on his response to the memorandum dated May 23, 2011, of outgoing Transportation Secretary Jose “Ping” de Jesus, informing him of the benefits and advantages of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)-Land Transportation Office (LTO) contract with information-technology (IT) provider Stradcom Corp.
At the same time, Lagman said President Aquino should also clarify reports that his alleged preference for the abrogation of the Stradcom contract and his reported directive to have the recommendations in the said memorandum altered, which triggered the resignation of de Jesus.
Lagman issued the statement after reports indicated that de Jesus did not resign from his post owing to health reasons, but rather quit in disgust over Aquino’s alleged order to change his recommendation on the automated system being rendered by Stradcom that will, in effect, terminate its contract with the government, which was the demand of no less than LTO head on leave Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres.
The report quoting the memorandum of de Jesus to Malacañang recommended that the Stradcom contract be maintained because it reduces the processing time of all transactions; it establishes an audit trail showing vehicle, license and violations history, which can be accessed online; it assures connectivity with other government agencies and private entities, resulting in efficient access to authentic data; and it modernizes LTO public-service delivery.
According to the memorandum, LTO services will regress and the transacting public will suffer if the Stradcom contract will be terminated and the LTO returns to manual operation.
“Transparency, likewise, demands that de Jesus should make a clean breast of the true reasons for his resignation, and should desist from shielding the President,” said Lagman.
The report also quoted a source—apparently one of the four undersecretaries who resigned with de Jesus—claiming that Mr. Aquino ordered DOTC officials to change their recommendation.
“[President] Aquino asked us to change our recommendations and instead recommend for the speedy termination of the Stradcom contract by citing there are no benefits to the Stradcom contract,” said the report, quoting the unnamed transportation undersecretary.
