DOTr hits Poe over insistence of corruption in private vehicle inspection system

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday slammed Senator Grace Poe for insisting that corruption and irregular practices plagued private vehicle inspection centers (PMVICs).

In a statement, the DOTr said it “takes exception at the apparent zeal and relentless ardor of Senator Grace Poe to unduly shut down a program of the Executive branch, meant to elevate the standards of road worthiness of vehicles, and uphold ROAD SAFETY.”

The Transportation department made the statement after Poe cried foul the DOTr belied her statement that no formal order had been issued to discontinue the mandatory vehicle testing by PMVICs.

In an earlier statement, the DOTr said that Poe’s claims were “not true” as it provided the media a copy of a Land Transportation Office (LTO) memo informing all concerned LTO regional directors on the discontinuance of mandatory vehicle testing by PMVICs.

In her rebuttal, Poe said that the “unnumbered” LTO memo 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 senator also stressed that the DOTr has all the time to notify the panel about its action from the day the committee report was filed and made public on February 16 until its sponsorship on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, emphasized 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.

With this, the DOTr said that it was only asked to comment on the specific assertion by the senator.

“[A]nd our prompt response was to provide the media and the public with a copy of an official LTO Memorandum dated 11 February 2021, which specifically directs LTO regional directors and personnel concerned to ensure the strict implementation of the President’s order to make vehicle inspection from PMVICs non-mandatory, as well as the directive of the DOTr on lowered PMVIC inspection fees,” the agency said.

“Though not required by law, the said Memorandum has been submitted for publication at the Office of the National Administrative Register of the U.P. Law Center,” it added.

The DOTr noted that “this response clearly debunked the false assertion of Senator Poe.”

Poe, in closing her statement, said that what the public should wait for is whether a permanent relief can be expected from the repeal of DOTr Department Order 2018-019, which privatizes motor vehicle inspection system, and all its related issuances.

The lawmaker has been calling for the suspension of the operation of private motor vehicle inspection centers amid lingering issues to the detriment of motorists at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now, since the senator is resorting to obfuscation and muddling the issue of the PMVICs with unfounded and unfair accusations of corruption and incompetence, allow us to set the record straight,” the DOTr said.

The Transportation department claimed that Poe “tried to re-frame the issue by dismissing the memo as an internal documentation, and not an official presentation and pronouncement for public consumption.”

“Allow us to remind the good Senator that when the matter of lowered inspection fees and reversing the mandatory requirement of the PMVIC was announced by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on 11 February 2021, the DOTr and LTO fully complemented the same pronouncement by formally holding a virtual press conference, on the very same day, together with representatives from the health and environment sectors, and officers of the Vehicle Inspection Center Owners Association of the Philippines (VICOAP),” the DOTr said.

“The said policy shift, as ordered, was widely announced and circulated by both mainstream and social media, with official information provided by the official spokesperson of the President, the DOTr and the LTO, and confirmed by the VICOAP,” it added.

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.

“In fact, even Senator Bong Go made a public pronouncement lauding the efforts of the DOTr to reach out to PMVIC owners and push for a pandemic special rate to ensure that no unnecessary burden is imposed on Filipinos,” the DOTr said.

As for several other issues pertaining to irregularities and corruption on the operation of PMVICs, the DOTr stipulated that “in the committee hearing, we already exhaustively explained that the alleged irregularities were actually operational deficiencies, to be viewed as birth pains of a new system that can be remedied immediately."

“The members of VICOAP have magnanimously submitted themselves to the committee in the most transparent manner, admitting the operational lapses, and how they plan to institute corrective measures,” it said.

“Further, they have been openly presenting their technology-driven system, and how its modern process with minimal human intervention, can eliminate or mitigate corrupt practices, which are now intrinsic in the old and inefficient emission testing system,” it added.

The DOTr said all documents requested from the agency have been immediately submitted to the committee, including links to live stream video footages of the actual and real-time PMVIC accreditation process.

“These included the conduct of a coin toss in case of a tie, where there is a 50-50 probability for selection for each applicant. Surely, we cannot fix or corrupt the outcome of a coin toss done publicly,” it said.

“In earlier interviews, Senator Poe likewise questioned the absence of a bidding process. Bidding is not required for projects which do not involve public funds such as the PMVIC program,” the DOTr said.

The agency also stressed that with regard to the claim of “oligopoly” or that certain parties were favored in the selection, “the fact that the VICOAP exists, with more or less 60 different individuals as members, belie[s] this misguided charge.”

Nonetheless, the DOTr said that open communication between the agency and the senator “outside the specter of a media frenzy” can resolve the issue.

“Good faith is respecting the decision of the President on a policy shift through the implementation of a program, and not insisting on an outright end of a process meant to significantly change a patently corrupt practice. The last time we checked, the DOTr and the LTO are in the Executive Branch of government, and we obey the lawful orders of our Chief Executive,” it said.

“Good faith is when we all recognize the system of governance and the equal footing of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial, without having to impose or insist on a policy shift beyond the scope of our responsibility, it added.

The DOTr added that it fully respects Poe as a legislator.

“We do not dictate upon her on how to craft laws, nor even suggest to suspend the implementation of any law she principally authored. But, to insist on encroaching on our prerogative and function to implement a program or policy beneficial to the people is altogether a different matter,” it said.

“We do hope that with the committee's zealousness to look into the PMVIC, it will demonstrate the same enthusiasm in scrutinizing the current system of PETCs, their proven gross deficiency and corrupt practices which we have been earnestly trying to reform,” it added.

The DOTr said the PMVIC is the modern, technology-driven wellspring, and a vast improvement from the dubious and inefficient PETC. 

“We are also seeking clarification if the committee's direction is towards a complete elimination of a motor vehicle inspection system, which is grounded on existing laws of the land, and under the purview of the Executive branch,” it said.

“We do hope and pray that the committee intends to enlighten our people on the value of a motor vehicle inspection, and how our government is moving forward to significantly improve the system,” it added.

“With all due respect to the Senate Committee on Public Services, we remain most committed to a resolution that will be most acceptable and beneficial to all stakeholders, and still with the end view of upholding the best interest of the people and the nation,” the DOTr said.

GMA News Online has reached out to the camp of Senator Grace Poe for comment, but no response has been received as of posting. -MDM, GMA News