Authorities Arrest LTO Chief in Bustos, Bulacan Arrested for Conspiring w/ Fixer for Conspiring w/ Fixer
The LTO chief in Bustos, Bulacan was arrested for allegedly conspiring with a fixer to process driver’s licenses without following the legal procedure.
The head of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Bustos, Bulacan was nabbed for working with a fixer in processing driver’s licenses without requiring applicants to take exams or driving tests.
The NBI’s Public Corruption Division sent an undercover agent posing as an applicant looking to renew their license. The fixer, working with the LTO, offered the license for a fee of P7,000, promising the license would be processed in a day without the need for an exam.
“Nagsimula na yung proseso, finill up na yung form dahil nagpanggap nga siyang parang hindi siya marunong kaya ang nagfill up ng form ay ang fixer para sa kanya. Tapos pinagkuha siya ng exam na ang instruction lang sa kanya ay magpanggap ka lang na nagsusulat diyan sa papel pero lahat yan may sagot nay an, tapos dumaan na siya sa lahat ng mga proseso,” NBI PCD Chief Atty. Catherine Nolasco-Illescas said.
According to NBI reports, the undercover agent was instructed by the fixer to fill out the necessary forms. However, the fixer did most of the paperwork on behalf of the applicant.
When it came time for the exam, the agent was simply told to pretend to write, as the answers had already been filled in. The entire process was completed without the agent having to take any real tests.
The LTO office approved the license renewal, skipping the mandatory steps. As a result, both the fixer and the LTO chief were arrested. During the investigation, it was revealed that the fixer’s family owned a driving school and the land where the LTO office is located.
Mendoza refused to give a statement, advising reporters to speak to his lawyer instead. He and the fixer were charged with violating the Anti-Red Tape Law and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza, who took office recently, reiterated his commitment to eliminating fixers and corruption within the agency.
“On the very first day of my assumption as LTO Chief, I made it clear that I will be running after all the fixers and their cohorts in our agency. We will not allow these people to taint the name of our agency for their money-making schemes,” Mendoza said.
In a previous report, 3 LTO employees nabbed for smuggling unregistered plates
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