CEO wreaks havoc anew

Chief engineer of obstructionism (CEO) Senator Grace Poe struck again recently as she railed against the implementation of the operation of private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVIC) when she again saw the specter of corruption in the program.

She called the Land Transportation Office (LTO) scheme as “oppressive, anomalous and extraordinarily flawed,” which was no different to what she said when she threw roadblocks to the request for emergency powers to solve the daily traffic jams in Metro Manila roads.

Knowing that she gained an upper hand in the argument she initiated to halt the LTO move, she now complained that the LTO refused to comply with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to suspend privatizing the inspection process.

“LTO has not yet come out with issuances formalizing the lowered fees and making the MVIC process optional,” Poe said.

Her Senate Public Services Committee conducted a probe into the PMVIC implementation with an expected conclusion that the government program is suspected of breeding irregularities.

She claimed livestreams of proceedings submitted to the committee did not include 16 PMVIC; in effect, her suggestion of the presence of under-the-table deals.

Likewise, her claims include supposed local executives who were not consulted prior to the operation of PMVIC in their area, denying the local governments a chance to inspect the facilities.

“The questionable issuances seem to have created a very favorable environment for an oligopoly where only very few players can enter and succeed,” Poe said.

All of her claims were mostly cobbled up by her regional allies with an eye on another ambitious shot at 2022.

What she alleged were also far from reality as the LTO had issued a memorandum to make the inspections with PMVIC optional.

PMVIC testing fees were also leveled to the charges of private emission testing centers. The DoTr said Poe can find the LTO directive with the University of the Philippines’ Law Center if she needs proof.

It is not new for Poe, however, to question a worthy undertaking to drum up public notice, which was how she addressed the petition of the administration to come up with a quick solution to the vehicle mayhem on the streets as a result of years of neglect on infrastructure in the past regime led by the senator’s ally, President Noynoy Aquino.

President Rodrigo Duterte tried to impress on Poe that with the massive “Build, Build, Build” catch-up campaign of his administration, things will get worse before they become better. Also, the projects should be done quicker because of the almost daily carmageddon then.

Instead, Poe said the emergency power was only intended to go around the government requirement for bidding on major projects.

Mr. Duterte in disgust withdrew the request and said that his administration will go at it even without the special powers that Poe wished to block

The current ease on the road as a result of the opening of “Build, Build, Build” projects would have benefited the population earlier if Poe did not throw unnecessary gauntlets for political gain on these.

The perennial candidate’s mind is always clouded by her unattainable goal, thus, impairing Poe’s judgment on what will provide immediate relief to the people that she professed to serve.

“The current ease on the road as a result of opening of the ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects would have benefited the population earlier if Poe did not throw unnecessary gauntlets for political gain.

“All of her claims were mostly cobbled up by her regional allies with an eye on another ambitious shot at 2022.