Group files graft, misconduct raps vs DOTr officials over Stradcom contract

A transport group has filed two complaints for graft, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service against former and current officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) over the alleged unlawful extension of the government contract of IT provider Stradcom Corp.

The complaint was filed by Coalition 169 against former DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon, former Land Transportation Office chief Vigor Mendoza, and incumbent Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, among others.

Johnny Gomez, a member of the group, questioned why the DOTr continues to allow Stradcom to provide IT services despite the government already operating its own Land Transportation Management System (LTMS).

“LTMS is government-owned, with no computer fees or additional charges, while Stradcom collects P169. This is what we are fighting for. If we compute, we have 12 million vehicles annually using Stradcom—that’s already about P2 billion in collections,” Gomez told reporters after filing the complaint.

“You can just imagine the huge amount of money that Stradcom is getting when we should not be paying these additional computer fees,” he added.

Dizon has since left the DOTr after being appointed secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Mendoza, meanwhile, has been appointed chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, an attached agency of the DOTr.

The complainants also alleged that several DOTr officials failed to verify whether Stradcom remains legally authorized to provide IT services, claiming that the firm has had no legal standing to continue its contract for the past 10 years, or since the implementation of the LTMS.

In response, Lopez maintained that all actions taken by the agency are above board.

“While we have yet to receive a copy of the complaint, we are ready to address it before the proper forum,” Lopez said in a statement.

He added that the DOTr continues to upgrade its systems to better serve the public, emphasizing transparency and accountability in all its projects and initiatives.—MCG, GMA News