Iloilo man charged over fake driver’s license

By Gerome Dalipe

ILOILO CITY — A 25-year-old man from Mina, Iloilo, is facing criminal charges after allegedly using a fake driver’s license as identification when applying for an NBI clearance at a mall in Pavia.

The Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office found probable cause to charge the man following a complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation Region VI.

Associate Prosecutor Frances Shanelle Salinas recommended filing a charge for violating Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code, which covers the use of falsified documents.

In a four-page resolution, Salinas said the respondent “made use of the falsified document.”

She noted that he was not a legitimate driver’s license holder but allegedly submitted the questionable document among his identification cards.

The case stemmed from the respondent’s application for an NBI clearance at a satellite office inside a Pavia mall on June 4, 2026.

NBI personnel noticed irregularities in the driver’s license and referred it to the Land Transportation Office Driver’s License Renewal Office at GT Mall in Pavia for verification.

An LTO Iloilo Licensing Center certification showed no driver’s license record under the respondent’s name.

The agency’s information technology system likewise contained no record of a license issued to him.

The license number printed on the questionable document was registered to another person.

LTO Region VI issued a certification dated June 4, 2026, confirming that the license number belonged to someone else.

The prosecution cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dava v. People of the Philippines, which recognizes a driver’s license as a public document.

The Supreme Court ruled that a completed driver’s license form becomes a public document even when the issuing official’s signature is simulated.

Prosecutors said the falsified license was made to appear as though it had been legitimately issued by LTO officials.

They said the respondent allegedly never applied for a driver’s license and no LTO employee participated in its issuance.

“Thus, the driver’s license he used in his possession is fake,” the prosecutors said.

They found prima facie evidence sufficient to establish probable cause for violating Article 172(3), in relation to Article 171(2), of the Revised Penal Code, as amended.

Article 172 penalizes falsification by private individuals and the use of falsified documents.

LTO-6 Regional Director Gaudioso P. Geduspan II said the case should serve as a stern warning to anyone considering obtaining or using a fraudulent driver’s license.

Geduspan said LTO-6 would continue using all lawful means to identify and hold accountable those involved in such activities.

“For those tempted to take the illegal route to getting behind the wheel, I am telling you now that a fake license can lead to a real criminal case,” Geduspan warned.

The finding of probable cause allows the criminal case to proceed but does not constitute a finding of guilt.