DTI officials face cases over Montero Sport issue

MANILA, Philippines – Victims of the alleged sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) of Mitsubishi Montero Sport vehicles filed cases before the Office of the Ombudsman against several officials of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Friday, January 29.

The officials, including former DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo, Undersecretary Victorio Mario Dimagiba, and Consumer Protection and Advocacy Bureau Director Anselmo Adriano, are facing criminal and administrative cases for dereliction of duty, violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, grave misconduct, and gross neglect of duty filed by 10 victims and owners of car units which experienced SUA.

Alleged SUA cases rose in the past few months, in which some Montero Sport owners reported their vehicles suddenly moving or becoming uncontrollable during use, leading to accidents.

The victims claimed that the government agency “acted belatedly” on the complaints filed – only as a reaction to a resolution filed in the House of Representatives on the alleged SUA incidents. The DTI only created a panel to investigate the issue in December 2015.

The DTI, the complaint read, “helped, contrived, and cooperated” with Mitsubishi Philippines.

“Instead of initiating action as mandated by law and for DTI to immediately take positive move or action to protect and safeguard the welfare of the public or at least warn the public of the presence of defect in the Mitsubishi Montero Sports Vehicle as manifested by the ‘SUA’ thereof, the responsible officers of the DTI helped, assisted, contrived and cooperated with the Mitsubishi people in hiding and keeping from the public this defect in the vehicle,” the complaint said.

Complainants added that the “deliberate failure or neglect” on the part of the DTI to perform their duties in relation to the alleged SUA incidents – including ordering a recall, banning the product in the market, and information dissemination – said incidents continued resulting in further damages to properties and individuals. – Rappler.com