Cops tighten security at LTO after IT contractor's row

A day after the Land Transportation Office's (LTO) operations were disrupted by its contractor's internal power struggle, the police have tightened security at the LTO compound in Quezon City. Radio dzBB's Allan Gatus reported on Friday that the Quezon City police assigned to the LTO compound have instructions to prevent attempts by groups to enter the area, especially the office of its information technology (IT) contractor Stradcom Corp. Before dawn on Thursday, armed men aboard three jeepneys tried to break into Stradcom's office. Quezon City police Station 10 head Superintendent Constante Agpaoa said they had to bring in a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to the office of Stradcom as two groups engaged in an armed standoff that lasted for about eight hours. The tension at the Stradcom office was reportedly caused by a dispute on the ownership of the company. Quezon City Police Office head Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele on Friday said police personnel from the Quezon City police's District Public Safety Battalion will stay at the LTO indefinitely. Mantele said they do not want a repeat of Thursday's incident. The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) intervened to ensure the continued operation of LTO, whose database is managed by Stradcom. DOTC Secretary Jose de Jesus said they are studying terminating the contract with Stradcom, if there is basis to do so. "We will need to study that ... If there is (basis to end the contract), we will take the necessary action," he said in an interview on dzBB radio Thursday afternoon. – VVP, GMANews.TV