LTO chief Torres says she won't resign from post

Upon returning to her post after a two-month leave, Land Transportation Office (LTO) head Virginia Torres immediately declared that she won't resign despite the issues hounding her. In a report aired over GMA News TV's "News TV Live," reporter JP Soriano quoted Torres as saying during a press conference on Tuesday that she once considered resigning, but changed her mind because doing so would be an "insult" to the government.

Torres went on a leave in April upon President Benigno Aquino III’s request amid controversies regarding the takeover incident at the offices of Stradcom Corporation in the LTO compound in Quezon City. Stradcom, under a build-own-operate agreement, is the firm tasked to provide IT services for the LTO at no cost to the government. The Department of Justice (DOJ) last March 4 recommended Torres’ dismissal from service for alleged complicity in the incident that disrupted LTO operations for nearly six hours. The DOJ’s fact-finding committee also recommended to the Department of Transportation and Communications the filing of gross negligence or gross incompetence charges against Torres, for having "favored" a group that asserted ownership over Stradcom. The panel said Torres did not prevent the takeover moves even when she had prior knowledge of it. Corruption, disobedience charges In April, Stradcom filed corruption and disobedience charges against Torres whom they accused of favoring Bonifacio Sumbilla and Aderito Yujuico, the individuals claiming they were Stradcom’s new owners. On Tuesday, Soriano quoted Torres as saying that the LTO will just wait for the decision of the court on whether or not to pay Stradcom. She added that the money for the payment was "intact and ready" whenever the court makes the decision. She noted, however, that they have a contingency plan in case Stradcom shuts down its operations. Torres, meanwhile, reiterated that she had nothing to do with the resignation of Transportation chief Jose de Jesus. De Jesus' resignation takes effect end of June. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News