BUTUAN CITY – The arrest of four “fixers” in Surigao is part of the Land Transportation Office's (LTO) intensified drive to rid the agency of predators who victimize the public, LTO-13 Acting Director Danielo Merson Borja said Wednesday.
“Our office has received a lot of complaints about these fixers, and we have acted on it,” Borja said in a phone interview on Wednesday.
Borja said the fixers, who were arrested Tuesday and late last week, were involved in selling fake LTO documents, such as registrations and licenses.
The anti-fixing campaign, he said, is being implemented in coordination with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the area.
In a report Tuesday, a copy of which was obtained by the Philippine News Agency Wednesday, the CIDG Surigao del Norte (CIDG-SDN) said an entrapment at the LTO Office in the Capitol Site in Surigao City resulted in the arrest of Jhoneray Japay, 26.
Seized from the possession of the suspect were a medical certificate for driver’s license, LTO forms, a routing slip for processing of a license date Sept. 27, 2022, a certificate of completion for a theoretical driving course, receipts, and insurance documents.
On Sept. 23, the CIDG-SDN also arrested during an operation at the LTO Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte a certain Val Plaza, 46.
Two days earlier, operations launched in Butuan City and in Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, resulted in the arrest of two alleged “fixers” –Joel Cobales, 53; and Jovi Guerrero, 35.
The operatives also confiscated from the three suspects various LTO forms and other documents necessary for the processing of licenses and registrations.
The suspects will be charged with the violation of the provisions of Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.
“We are determined to pursue the filing of criminal charges against these arrested suspects,” Borja said. (PNA)
