Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21) — A lawmaker and a think tank said printing out licenses on paper can expose drivers to security risks and give them added burden, as they urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to immediately act on the card shortage issue.
Issuing a license printed on paper is prone to wear and tear, tampering and could compromise the security of the holder,” Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the Senate public services committee, said in a statement Friday.Poe called on the DOTr to intervene as the shortage issue might worsen the “gargantuan” backlog of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Infrawatch convenor Terry Ridon echoed the senator’s statement, saying the paper-based licenses are “less robust” and can “disintegrate” in a few months after their issuance.
Ridon also pointed out that the situation would force Filipinos to return again to LTO offices to secure their plastic cards.
“Talagang high level of incompetence ho ito ng agency (It’s really a high level of incompetence of the agency),” he added.
“Ang kailangan po linawin dito, whether LTO o DOTr yan, gawin niyo na po ang trabaho niyo ngayon (What needs to be clarified here, is whether it is LTO or DOTr, do your job now),” Ridon said.
On Thursday, LTO chief Jay Tugade said the agency has over 140,000 cards in its inventory that will only last for the month.
READ: Card shortage forces LTO to temporarily print driver’s license on paper
While the LTO was ready to increase the supply, Tugade said they were ordered “to stop all procurement activities” following the issuance of the DOTr’s order that requires transactions over ₱50 million to pass through the central office.DOTr hopes to procure enough license cards before supply runs out and while the TOR (terms of reference) is being remedied so the bidding for the supply of license cards can proceed,” the department said.
