Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) — A Land Transportation Office (LTO) district chief was suspended on suspicion of conspiring with fixers, LTO Assistant Secretary Jay Art Tugade said Wednesday.
The LTO Novaliches district officer was suspended following the entrapment operation of the agency and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Quezon City on Tuesday.
”Nung kinonpronta ko hepe, ‘ano po nangyayari dito sa opisina, ang daming fixer,’ ang reply ng hepe ay nasa labas naman [ng LTO office] yung mga fixer,” Tugade told reporters.
[When I confronted the chief, ‘what’s happening in this office, there are a lot of fixers\” the chief replied that the fixers are only outside of the LTO office.]
Tugade said the district officer will be investigated.
Five alleged fixers and some employees of the LTO district office were also nabbed during the entrapment operation. It was not clear how many employees were arrested.
Tugade said they would face charges in violation of Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.
He likewise warned the branch’s head of his liability for the proliferation of fixers outside the office. The officer may be slapped with administrative and criminal liabilities once proven to be connected to those arrested.
Tugade said some individuals, who want to secure a student permit without going through training, pay as much as ₱10,500.
“Napaka-delikado sa aksidente at buwis-buhay ang ganitong uri ng shortcut na dapat po nating iwasan at sawatahin,” Tugade said.
He urged the public to immediately report these illegal activities.
