DOTr refutes Poe, says memo on making PMVICs optional already issued

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday refuted the claim of Senator Grace Poe that the agency has not yet issued an order to formalize the discontinuance of mandatory vehicle testing by private vehicle inspection centers (PMVICs).

On Wednesday, Poe said that despite the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to make vehicle inspection by PMVICs optional and lower their fees, the DOTr and the Land Transportation Office have not yet come out with issuances formalizing it. 

“What Senator Poe said is not true,” Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddess Hope Libiran said in a statement.

“In fact, right after the PMVIC press conference conducted by the DOTr and LTO on February 11, Asec. Edgar Galvante of LTO immediately issued a memorandum addressed to all LTO Regional Directors, Assistant Regional Directors and concerned personnel, stating that the testing of motor vehicles in PMVICs is no longer mandatory, and therefore optional, and that inspections may again be performed by LTO inspectors, and emission testing conducted by PETCs,” she said.

Libiran provided members of the media with a copy of the LTO memo.

READ: Land Transportation Office memo making vehicle testing by private motor vehicle inspection centers optional. | via @Ted_Corderopic.twitter.com/v23h4QxgQY

— GMA News Breaking (@gmanewsbreaking) February 25, 2021

“Further, as a result of the discussions of Secretary Tugade and PMVIC owners, the Memorandum likewise stated the reduced PMVIC testing fees to level it with that of PETCs,” the Transportation official said.

Poe responds

In response, Poe said in a statement that the filing of the unnumbered memorandum and uploading it on the LTO website two days ago is “hardly the formal notice that a Senate committee usually receives especially for a pressing issue that has recently been subject of a huge public hearing.”

The DOTr, she added, had all the time from the day the committee report was filed and made public until its sponsorship on the Senate floor Wednesday to inform the panel about the issuance of the memorandum.

Poe also pointed out that since the memorandum was addressed only to LTO regional directors and employees, it is “not the notice that the inconvenience public deserves.”

“The function of an administrative issuance is to inform not only its personnel, but more importantly, the general public who stands to be affected by the issuance. This function was not complied with by the piece of paper released by the LTO it plainly denominated as a 'Memorandum,'” Poe said.

Poe said that in issuing the memorandum, the DOTr only responded to one of the many issues involving PMVICs.

“The Committee could only hope that the DOTr is as quick to refute the findings of corruption and irregularities as regards the operation of PMVICs as it is to point to an unnumbered document strategically tucked away in its website. When all is said and done, the DOTr still owes the public an explanation,” she said.

PMVICs 

To recall, operators of PMVICs have agreed to lower fees collected from private motorists as they heed the government’s call to ease the financial burden of Filipinos amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The PMVICs also lowered the inspection fees for jeepneys and tricycles.

They, likewise, agreed not to collect re-inspection fees for one year.

While the LTO acknowledge that PMVICs are not mandatory as ordered by the President, it urged motorists to have their vehicles checked by PMVICs to ensure road worthiness and safety of the motoring public.  

Libiran said that the memo issued by the LTO is already published at the UP Law Center. — RSJ, GMA News