LTO-6 warns public against fixers after Kalibo arrest

By Jennifer P. Rendon

ILOILO CITY — The Land Transportation Office Region 6 has again urged the public to follow legitimate agency procedures when availing itself of LTO services.

LTO-6 Regional Director Gaudioso Geduspan II also urged the public to report anyone offering to secure a driver’s license through unofficial or fraudulent means.

Geduspan issued the warning following the arrest of a female insurance agent in Kalibo, Aklan, for allegedly engaging in fixing by arranging a driver’s license transaction outside required LTO procedures.

“This is a continuing concern for authorities—individuals who offer shortcuts to people seeking driver’s licenses, allowing them to bypass procedures designed to ensure that only qualified and properly trained motorists get behind the wheel,” Geduspan said.

The woman was arrested during an entrapment operation conducted by the Kalibo Municipal Police Station in coordination with the LTO Kalibo District Office.

The case began when a senior citizen from Numancia, Aklan, sought assistance from Marlon Velez, chief of the LTO Kalibo District Office, over the delayed release of his driver’s license.

Velez ordered the transaction checked through the Land Transportation Management System.

LTO Kalibo personnel later discovered that the license transaction had supposedly been processed in another region.

The finding raised questions because the complainant said he had never traveled to another region to apply for or process his license.

Police investigation showed that the complainant had paid PHP 12,000 for the transaction.

He was reportedly promised a driver’s license without completing the usual requirements, including a medical certificate, Theoretical Driving Course or Practical Driving Course certificates, and the required examination.

The alleged fixer later sent the complainant a photo showing his driver’s license number.

When LTO Kalibo personnel verified the number, however, they found that it had not been issued by any LTO district office in Western Visayas.

When the woman later scheduled the release of the license, the complainant sought assistance from police and the LTO Kalibo District Office.

Authorities then conducted an entrapment operation inside the LTO Kalibo District Office compound, resulting in the woman’s arrest.

Velez said the purported transaction showed several irregularities, including the absence of biometric records and other required documents, indicating that the license had not gone through the legitimate LTO process.

The suspect is detained at the Kalibo Municipal Police Station and is facing charges for alleged violations of Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code and Section 21(h) of Republic Act No. 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

Article 172 covers falsification by private individuals and the use of falsified documents, while Section 21(h) of Republic Act No. 11032 prohibits fixing or collusion with fixers for economic or other gain or advantage.

The entrapment operation adds to LTO-6’s continuing anti-fixing campaign, which has resulted in 18 criminal convictions for falsification of public documents and violations of Republic Act No. 11032.

Over the past four years, more than 90 other cases have been filed or remain pending before various courts and prosecutors’ offices across Western Visayas.