09 September 2005
Bebot Villar quits DOTC; hits corruption in land transport sector
By Venus May H. Sarmiento
Assistant Secretary Antonio A. Villar, Jr. of the Department of Transportation and Communications has resigned his post Thursday, citing alleged corruption in the land transport sector as his reason for leaving.
Villar, founder and chair of the multiparty group Biskeg na Pangasinan, and a former multi-term mayor of Sto. Tomas, said his “irrevocable” letter of resignation submitted to President Arroyo Sept. 1, that he was “nauseated by the web of corruption in the bureaucracy, particularly in the land transport sector of the DOTC.”
Villar admitted that having already shown his disgust at the corruption in the DOTC, he was being wooed by elements in and outside the administration for their own ends and agenda. He claimed however he had no desire to jump over to “the other side of the political spectrum.”
“I would rather be a credible non-partisan critic of misgovernance,” the man credited for his town’s giving a “zero vote” for the late presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. in the May 2004 elections, said.
DOTC Undersecretary Ricardo Alfonso of the land transport sector, reacting to Villar’s inferences, however, said he does not understand what corruption the assistant secretary was referring to in his sector.
“Maybe, he was concerned about land transport in his hometown. I really don’t know what he was talking about,” Alfonso said.
A report said Villar has submitted a letter of resignation to Malacanang in late May, which was supposed to be effective on June 1. He had cited at that time his being unproductive in the air sector of DOTC because of lack of funds for his office. His resignation, however, was not accepted.
Assistant Secretary Antonio A. Villar, Jr. of the Department of Transportation and Communications has resigned his post Thursday, citing alleged corruption in the land transport sector as his reason for leaving.
Villar, founder and chair of the multiparty group Biskeg na Pangasinan, and a former multi-term mayor of Sto. Tomas, said his “irrevocable” letter of resignation submitted to President Arroyo Sept. 1, that he was “nauseated by the web of corruption in the bureaucracy, particularly in the land transport sector of the DOTC.”
Villar admitted that having already shown his disgust at the corruption in the DOTC, he was being wooed by elements in and outside the administration for their own ends and agenda. He claimed however he had no desire to jump over to “the other side of the political spectrum.”
“I would rather be a credible non-partisan critic of misgovernance,” the man credited for his town’s giving a “zero vote” for the late presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. in the May 2004 elections, said.
DOTC Undersecretary Ricardo Alfonso of the land transport sector, reacting to Villar’s inferences, however, said he does not understand what corruption the assistant secretary was referring to in his sector.
“Maybe, he was concerned about land transport in his hometown. I really don’t know what he was talking about,” Alfonso said.
A report said Villar has submitted a letter of resignation to Malacanang in late May, which was supposed to be effective on June 1. He had cited at that time his being unproductive in the air sector of DOTC because of lack of funds for his office. His resignation, however, was not accepted.
