What’s Tolentino up to? C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 08/08/2010

What’s Tolentino up to?

C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 08/08/2010 All right. We grant that newly appointed MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino knows his politics coming as he does come from a political family (his father, Isaac, was a long time Tagaytay City mayor, he himself served for three terms and his brother, Abraham, is now the current Chief Executive). Immediately after being named MMDA chief he warmed the public’s heart, so to speak, by denouncing the multimillion-peso “payola” allegedly being forked out by 30 or so bus companies operating within Metro Manila to “kotong” officials within the agency. He named five of those companies and promised to go after the rest and, of course, bring the kotong officials to task. Well, it has been two weeks after that announcement but we have not heard from Tolentino again. Who are the other payola giving companies and their partners-in-crime? Has he filed any case against the companies and their protectors? Or has he forgotten his pledge and, now, the law? We hope not. Not a few people are wondering what’s keeping Tolentino from pursuing his vow against the kotong system at the MMDA starting with the obvious as he himself noted. About the only thing he has done so far is transfer the former MMDA traffic operations chief, Lito Vergel de Dios, to another post within the agency as part of a wide ranging reorganization and installing in his stead as his traffic consultant a defeated mayoralty candidate that act only muddled the situation. .... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100808com5.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Smells like political vendetta FRONTLINE Shortchanging hacienda workers FEATURE Truth meets fiction for S. African crime writers BLURBAL THRUSTS Pagcor crony C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S What’s Tolentino up to? VIEWPOINTS Gambling RP: A work in progress TABLETS OF STONE Resign now, fly later