LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Vigor Mendoza II has dismissed a newly filed graft complaint against him as an act of “desperation to get even.” This comes following allegations over a 169-peso computer fee collected during his tenure as Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief. In a statement released Thursday, Mendoza said his reforms at the LTO, aimed at providing faster and more efficient services, disrupted long-standing interests of certain groups, leaving some “unable to move on.” “Our aggressive policy reforms geared towards fast and comfortable services when I was still in the Land Transportation Office cut deep into the interests of some individuals and groups that they still feel the sharp and biting pain of the effects until now — and therefore, could not move on,” Mendoza said. Nevertheless, he added, he respects the decision of the Federated Land Transport Organizations of the Philippines (Feltop) to file the complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman, calling it “the proper forum to shed light into this old and recycled issue.” The complaint, lodged by Feltop on March 5, questions the collection of a 169-peso computer fee per transaction, alleging it generated more than 169 million pesos and was implemented with possible preferential treatment to Stradcom Corp., the IT service provider used for vehicle registration and other LTO transactions. Feltop represents over 60,000 small and independent public utility vehicle (PUV) operators nationwide, claiming the fee added to their operational costs amid rising expenses. The group has requested a 90-day preventive suspension of Mendoza while the Ombudsman investigates and is also seeking a refund of all fees collected starting Jan. 28, 2025. Mendoza, who now chairs the LTFRB, maintained that the case is not about accountability but retaliation against the reforms he pushed, insisting that his policies benefited the public by modernizing the LTO’s services. “This is not about accountability, this is plain and simple desperation to get even,” he said.