LTO chief on-leave not yet off the hook

Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres, who went on leave, has yet to be fully cleared in a complaint filed against her in connection with the Stradcom dispute, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said President Benigno Aquino III was still going through the recommendations of the Department of Justice panel which handled Torres’ case.

“We’re just reviewing it right now. So there will be an action one way or another,” Lacierda said during yesterday’s news briefing in Malacañang.

Asked whether it would be more proper for Torres to return to the LTO after a decision has been made on her fate, Lacierda said the fact-finding process had already been finished.

He indicated that Torres could no longer do anything to alter the fact-finding.

“Remember, the role there is to protect the database. The database is the intellectual property of the government,” Lacierda said.

“So she really has to return,” she added.

Torres, a shooting buddy of President Aquino, was reportedly the major reason which prompted erstwhile Transportation Secretary Jose “Ping” de Jesus to resign from his post.  Norman Bordadora

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