THE new leadership at the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Central Visayas vowed to eradicate fixers but the official appealed for the cooperation of insurance companies, drug testing centers (DCTs) and medical practitioners.
Alita Pulga, who was installed as LTO OIC-director last Monday, admitted that fixers are roaming around the agency’s premises because they act as agents of insurance, liaisons of DCTs and canvassers of medical clinics.
“This is where the fixers are working,” said Pulga.
She said fixing will not happen inside the LTO offices because of step-by-step procedures. There is an allocated time in every transaction, she added.
“We provide priority numbers so clients can be attended to on a first-come, first-served basis,” said Pulga.
For renewal of driver’s license, Pulga said it will only take about 30 minutes to one-hour. A personnel handling the transaction must indicate the time the documents were received.
For the renewal of vehicle registration, Pulga said it must be processed at a maximum of 25 minutes.
If the personnel received the documents at 9 a.m., the same must be forwarded to the next processor before 9:25 a.m.
Pulga said the driver’s license can be used for five years before it can be renewed, affirming the assurance of President Rodrigo Duterte in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) last July 25. This is, however, provided that the driver concerned did not violate traffic laws and did not meet any vehicular accident within the three-year validity of his license.
“We will give that driver a validity of five years and he only have to pay the government fees only equivalent to three years. Five years validity, three years for the fee,” Pulga said.
Pulga assumed as LTO officer-in-charge (OIC)-director after the appointment of then LTO 7 director Arnel Tancinco expired because it was coterminous with the appointing authority.
He was appointed by then president Benigno Aquino III.
“Under the law, if the appointment has already expired, the highest official of the region must take over as OIC,” Pulga said.