Six LTO-7 employees, 2 fixers face graft, anti-red tape charges

The six Land Transportation Office employees and two alleged fixers are brought to the Cebu Prosecutor’s Office where a complaint against them are filed. | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines— Six employees of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) and two alleged “fixers” are facing charges for violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices law and the Anti-Red Tape Act for their alleged involvement in the irregular release of driver’s licenses.

The National Bureau of Investigation filed the complaint before the Cebu City Prosecutors Office on Monday, July 15, against LTO-7 employees Marilyn Erederos, Jonathan Magudato, Epifanio Callino Jr., Charish Mae Cabigon, Gladys Mendero and Dembert Dasig; and alleged fixers Fredlyn De Lara and Dexter Capendit.

The suspects were nabbed by the NBI-7 operatives in an entrapment operation last Friday evening, July 12. 

The transaction between two agents of the NBI-7 and Capendit started in the district office of the LTO in a mall in Barangay Bakilid in Mandaue City on July 5.

On Friday, their transaction went on as they proceeded to the Licensing Center of the LTO-7 in SM City Seaside for the release of the driver’s license cards.

The NBI-7 agents purportedly paid the fixers P7,000 each to process their new license application.

Along with the complaint, the NBI-7 submitted screenshots of closed-circuit television ( CCTV) footage showing staff members of the LTO Cebu City Licensing Office and their respective participation in “fixing” the release of the driver’s license.

Erederos was spotted inside the medical clinic where the license applicants were undergoing physical examination. Cabigon was also seen in the clinic receiving a white envelope from De Lara.

The marked money used by the NBI agents in the transaction was recovered in the drawer of Erederos, the cashier of the licensing center.

The operation was pursuant to the request of LTO Central Office Executive Director Romeo Vera Cruz.

LTO-7 Regional Director Victor Caindec, in a Facebook post, said the operation was one of the collaborative efforts of their agency and the NBI in order to clean their ranks.

“Unknown to many, LTO-7 and NBI-7 have once again collaborated to address reports of ‘new-license fixing’ activities being advertised on social media, reported to LTO-7 thru our Facebook page and thru the Presidential Hotline 8888,” Caindec wrote.

“Several surveillance activities were launched the past few weeks, tracking social media and LTO-7 offices to establish connivance between external fixers and internal employees of the agency,” he wrote.

Caindec said the action was necessary in the process of positive change in their office.

“Be that as it may, we continue to ask for the public’s support and patience. We cannot stop all shenanigans that may happen in our offices everyday, but we assure everyone that we are listening, watching and taking action to address core issues and finding right solutions swiftly,” he said.

The arrested suspects are currently detained at the NBI-7 office pending the resolution of the complaint against them at the Cebu City Prosecutors Office./dbs