For lack of public bidding, the Supreme Court has nullified the 2009 agreement signed by the government with Stradcom Corp. for the Radio Frequency Identification Project that entailed a R350 additional charge for every motor vehicle registration.
In a decision written by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno, the SC ordered the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Land Transportation Office to refund to vehicle owners the money collected for RFID prior to the issuance of a status quo ante order on January 12, 2010.
“In fact, in just three months, the period when the RFID Project was implemented prior to the issuance of the Status Quo Ante Order by this Court, the LTO had already generated R29,894,200 in RFID Fees. Clearly, the evils sought to be avoided by the requirement of competitive public bidding are evident in this case,” the SC said.
With the ruling, the SC partially granted the petition filed by party-list Bayan Muna.
On the refund, the SC said: “The RFID fees collected during the implementation of the RFID Project prior to the issuance of this Court’s Status Quo Ante Order are likewise ordered refunded to the payors thereof.”
(Rey G. Panaligan)