Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, chief of CIDG Visayas Field Unit, says they are investigating the possibility of connivance between employees of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) and suspected fixers. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — After the arrest of four suspected fixers at the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) on Friday, August 19, 2022, personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Visayas Field Unit (CIDG-VFU) will further investigate the possibility of connivance between LTO-7 employees and the fixers in the processing of some office documents.
Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, CIDG-VFU chief, made the statement following the arrest of at least four suspected fixers in an entrapment operation outside the LTO-7 office in Cebu City on Friday afternoon, August 19, 2022.
The arrested individuals were brothers Joseph Cualbar, 32, and Renato Cualbar, 47, residents of Barangay Lahug, Cebu City; Raul Yuman, 52, or Barangay Busay, and Mario Mangubat, 40 of Barangay San Roque in Cebu City.
The operation was conducted by the personnel of the CIDG Mandaue City Field Unit led by Police Major Richard John Macachor.
According to Dalogdog, these individuals were arrested for the violation of Section 12 in relation to Section 2 of Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.
If found guilty of the charge, the four suspects could face imprisonment not exceeding six years or pay a fine of not less than P20,000 but not more than P200,000.
According to the law, they could also be jailed and fined at the discretion of the court.
The operation against the suspected fixers was conducted after the CIDG Mandaue City Field Unit received a letter complaint last August 10, 2022 from Maria Deana Nosdo, acting chief of the Operation Division of LTO-7.
Nosdo requested assistance regarding fixers or scammers, who were allegedly operating outside the periphery of LTO-7 in Cebu City.
Nosdo in her letter complaint claimed that these fixers allegedly were “overly aggressive” to the clients of LTO-7 visiting the office, and they were allegedly offering their illegal deals that would expedite the processing of LTO documents.
“Kining mga fixers, kung badlungon sila sa gwardiya, silay mahimong agresibo. Ang term nga iyang ginagamit diri kay combative sa mga security personnel, musukol ba,” Dalogdog said.
(These fixers, when admonished by the guards to stop their activities, they would become aggressive. The term that they used here (in the letter) was combative to the security personnel.)
The CIDG Mandaue City acted on the request on August 19, 2022, and conducted an operation against these suspected fixers.
Dalogdog said CIDG agents posed as clients, who would want to renew their licenses.
As the CIDG agents headed to the LTO-7 office, the four suspected fixers allegedly offered and promised an easier and more convenient transaction in exchange for P2,000, which was way higher than P585, which is the amount for renewal of LTO-7.
After the negotiated money changed hands, the CIDG agents then arrested the four suspected fixers.
Dalogdog said that the four suspects were not only involved in alleged renewal of licenses, but allegedly they were also involved in the renewal of vehicle registrations.
He also said that the four suspects allegedly admitted operating there since 2021.
The suspects were detained at the CIDG Mandaue City detention facility pending the filing of charges.
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