Tuesday, April 03, 2007 Official links Ouano to illegal plates
THE hosting of the Asean summit last January seems to be causing Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano more trouble.
After allegations surfaced on overpricing of lamps and streetlights, a Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 official is now accusing the mayor of illegally distributing commemorative vehicle plates for the Asean summit and city founding anniversary.
Licinio “Bebot” Gi-ngoyon, chief of the LTO 7 regional law enforcement section, alleged that Ouano distributed illegal vehicle plates to his (Ouano’s) relatives and friends as well as businessmen, professionals and subordinate officials and employees without authority from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
Ouano and Mandaue City Administrator Serafin Blanco could not be reached for their comment yesterday despite repeated calls to their cell phones.
P2T each
Gingoyon, a former journalist and brother of murdered Regional Trial Court judge Henrick Gingoyon, said illegal vehicle plates marked “lawyer” were also distributed to lawyers at P2,000 per plate, through the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
Lawyer Nilo V. Seno was apprehended with fake Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit plates, while businessman Alexander Ng was apprehended with plates for Mandaue City’s 483rd founding anniversary, which expired on 2005 but was allegedly extended by Ouano until Dec. 4, 2006.
Gingoyon said that those apprehended in the crackdown requested that the LTO agents talk to Jovito Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano so they could be enlightened why they possess such plates.
But Gingoyon warned the public that Jonkie has no authority over the LTO.
LTO 7 has secured a certification that only commemorative plates for “Cebu, Philippines” are valid and those marked “Mandaue, Philippines,” which were allegedly made on orders of Ouano, are illegal.
Leda Z. Jose and engineer Roberto S. Se, chief of plate unit and in-charge of property section, respectively, certified that as of May 23, 2007, the legal commemorative plates like those of the Asean summit are valid until Oct. 30, 2007 and those for the Kiwanis Asia Pacific are valid until March 10, 2008.
Gingoyon said that a commemorative plate for a vehicle is good only for one year.
No approval
Since DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Asean National Organizing Committee head Marciano Paynor Jr. approved the “12th Asean Summit-Cebu, Philippines 2006” plate last Oct. 30 it will expire this coming Oct. 30.
Gingoyon said there was no approval for commemorative plates marked “12th Asean summit-Mandaue, one caring and sharing community.”
Last Feb. 2, Andrew Wijangco, senior partner of Z3 Productions of 244 Sta. Monica St., Kapitolyo, Pasig City, sent a complaint to DOTC Undersecretary Anneli Lontoc that a certain company has been selling fake and unauthorized Asean summit commemorative plates.
Attached to the complaint were the authorization letters from Mendoza and Paynor.
Wijangco said his company is solely authorized to manufacture and distribute the commemorative plates.
“I hope you could inform all agencies to apprehend vehicles on the road using these plates. Since they have a different design, it will be enforced easily,” read Wijangco’s letter.
His complaint is still being investigated by Assistant Secretary Reynaldo I. Berroya, the LTO chief. (EOB)
