Santiago appointed Transportation head in Cordillera

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has assigned an officer-in-charge for the Department of Transportation and Railways (DOTr) in the Cordillera following the 90-day suspension of its regional and assistant regional director.

Robert Allan Santiago was formally installed as the OIC regional director following the 90-day suspension given to both regional director Jose Edwardo Natividad and assistant regional director Mohammed Nasser Abbas due to various allegations.

In a message coming from DOTr Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reinier Paul Yerba, the department instructed both parties to undergo the suspension for allegedly committing grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and gross neglect of duty.

In separate letters served through Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Tim Orbos, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra and LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante, the department filed formal charges and preventive suspension against the two DOTr–Cordillera officials.

Following his installation as OIC, Santiago has launched its online appointment and scheduling system, initially in Baguio City and Benguet province in a bid to fast-track the renewal of driver’s licenses and prevent long queues at motor vehicle registration, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the Cordillera.

The personal appointment and scheduling system, also known as the “online pass” and motor vehicle (MV) plate backlog inquiry system, is now operational at the LTO district office in this capital town and in Baguio City.

The Cordillera region is the ninth area to be provided with this kind of system since the LTO launched it in June this year.

Others were the National Capitol Region (NCR) and Regions 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11.

“With the application, our clients now will not have to go to our office for inquiries but instead would just have to login to our website lto.gov.ph and follow the links that would direct questions to our office,” Santiago said.

Santiago added the new system will facilitate the faster renewal of driver’s license and registration of vehicles.