DOTr clarifies Tugade's new driver's license for demo only

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday clarified that Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade's application for a driver's license with five-year validity was only for demonstration.

"Foremost, Secretary Tugade applied for a driver’s license card for DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY," the DOTr emphasized in a statement.

During the roll-out of the plastic driver's license cards with 5-year on Tuesday, at the Land Transportation Office in Quezon City, Tugade was among those who received the new driver's licenses.

LOOK: The new driver's license with five-year validity @gmanews pic.twitter.com/C89UlZtZrH

— Marlly Bondoc (@marllybondoc) August 29, 2017

The DOTr said Tugade only wanted to test the efficiency of the new system and how long it would take to apply for the new driver's licence -- from the encoding of the driver’s data into the system up to the printing of license cards.

"In fact, he was clear in saying that he intentionally placed errors in the application form, which demonstrates that his purpose was not to get a license but to see and check if the system is efficient, and see for himself how long an encoder rectifies such a mistake," it said.

"Please also note that after the demonstration, Secretary Tugade instructed LTO Chief Edgar Galvante to immediately erase his data in the system and cancel the license issued to him," it added.

The DOTr also noted that after the demonstration, Tugade recommended to Galvante to study how to minimize human or manual intervention on the part of LTO personnel in the processing of driver's license application to minimize, if not eliminate, "fixing" and corruption. —ALG, GMA News