The group Coalition 169 has renewed its call for the immediate rollout of the government-owned Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) after the Land Transportation Office (LTO) formally committed to fully operating and maintaining the platform in a letter to the Office of the Ombudsman.
The coalition pointed to a June 5 letter signed by LTO assistant secretary Markus V. Lacanilao in response to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla’s May 29 directive concerning the implementation of the state-owned LTMS.
In the letter, the LTO stated: “At the outset, the LTO shall comply — with admittedly the common objective — to fully operate and maintain the government owned and controlled system, in this instance, the LTMS.”
The agency also said it would comply with the Ombudsman’s directives but requested additional time, stating: “In the end, LTO shall comply with your office’s directives and most respectfully prays to be given more than 5 days to ensure reciprocal compliance by the contracting parties.”
Coalition 169 said the statements constitute a clear acknowledgment by the LTO that the government’s objective is the full operation of the LTMS.
As a result, the group argued that attention should now shift from legal and operational explanations to the actual implementation of the system.
The coalition noted that much of the LTO’s submission discussed legal disputes, pending court cases, technical issues, and concerns involving Dermalog JV.
However, it maintained that these matters do not alter the Ombudsman’s directive to fully implement the government-owned platform.
According to Coalition 169, recurring references to contractual and operational challenges should not slow the transition, particularly after the LTO itself affirmed its commitment to the LTMS in writing.
The Ombudsman earlier directed the LTO to take steps toward ensuring that the LTMS becomes the primary platform for delivering transportation-related public services, amid concerns over the agency’s continued reliance on systems outside the government-owned framework.
With the LTO now pledging compliance, Coalition 169 said the key question is no longer whether the transition will occur, but how quickly the agency can carry it out.
The group maintained that the focus should now be on executing the Ombudsman’s directive and completing the migration to the government-owned LTMS.
