THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) is left with no other option but to scrap the use of plastic cards for driver’s licenses and go back to paper should a petition for a preliminary injunction filed by a losing bidder be granted.
Interviewed over TeleRadyo Serbisyo, LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said the Quezon City Regional Trial Court has allowed the hearing for the injunction petition filed by AllCard Inc. against Banner Plasticard Inc. and the LTO after the lapse of a 20-day temporary restraining order.
“Despite this, we will continue to deliver (licenses) until the finality of the case… or the court changes its order to withdraw the injunction,” Mendoza said.
“As of Friday last week, AllCard has not yet filed a bond,” he added.
Amid the court battle, the LTO will still pursue to resolve the backlog in the issuance of the driver’s licenses since the injunction
is not yet in effect.
“We will address the April, May and June backlogs in October, November and December, respectively,” Mendoza said.
“The current usage (of driver’s licences) is to be affected,” he added.
Once the court grants the injunction petition in favor of AllCard Inc., LTO has to stop its manufacture of plastic cards, and
that it would be forced to go back to paper use.
When the TRO on the award of the contract to Banner Plasticard Inc. lapsed, LTO began manufacturing over one million plastic cards.
When asked why AllCard Inc. is persistent to stop the physical card distribution and to compromise public welfare, Mendoza said; “That’s a good question. But I (really) don’t know.”
“May be, we can ask AllCard to withdraw its petition,” he said.
He said the LTO through the office of the Solicitor General will file a plea before the Court of Appeals.
As of the moment, he said, the release of driver’s licenses for overseas Filipino workers and those who would immediately need them for work is given the top priority.
“Ninety-five percent of our offices have available cards. Today (Monday), we will re-supply (them),” he noted.
According to Mendoza, the LTO is cordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs so they could be allowed to distribute licenses overseas.