Sen. Osmeña unhappy over Aquino government’s handling of LTO chief case

MANILA, Philippines—“It’s like GMA administration all over again,” said Senator Sergio Osmeña III, who expressed disappointment at how the present administration handles the case of the beleaguered chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

GMA is former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Osmeña, who is allied with the Aquino administration, noted how the present administration seemed to treat its “kabarilan (shooting buddies)” with kid gloves, specifically citing the case of LTO chief Virginia Torres.

“Why are we depending on her (Torres) to find the grace and resign?” the senator asked.

“If she committed a violation of the law, her superiors must be the one to take action and suspend or fire her,” he said.

Torres has been accused of allegedly favoring a group in the ownership dispute of Stradcom Corp, the LTO’s information technology provider. She was forced to take a leave for two months pending an investigation on the matter.

But Osmeña was not satisfied by the government’s action on Torres .

“The Palace is perceived to be tolerant of shenanigans of kabarkada (peers),” Osmeña added.

Torres, who denied the accusation against her, has rejected the resignation calls of some politicians and various sectors of the society.