Two motorists banned for life over fake licenses

By Gerome Dalipe

The Land Transportation Office–Western Visayas has permanently disqualified two motorists after they attempted to renew counterfeit driver’s licenses — a firm warning amid the region’s intensified crackdown on licensing fraud.

The fake permits were uncovered during renewal attempts in May 2025.

In one case, a man who went to the Iloilo City Licensing Center was flagged when staff found that his license number did not match the official series and the print details conflicted with LTO records.

He later admitted to paying a PHP 4,500 “fixer” in 2020 for the bogus permit.

The second incident occurred at the LTO Driver’s License Renewal Office at Ayala Malls in Bacolod City, where a woman’s license was confiscated after physical checks and a search of the LTMS database confirmed the document was unregistered and inauthentic.

Both motorists claimed they were unaware the documents were fake and blamed third parties for securing the permits.

LTO-6 Regional Director Atty. Gaudioso P. Geduspan II rejected that defense in his resolution, stating that the acts “constitute a grave violation of licensing regulations” and prove the individuals are not proper persons to operate motor vehicles under existing law.

As a penalty, the two were placed on the LTO alarm list, permanently disqualifying them from ever being issued a driver’s license, and were fined for submitting fake documents.

Geduspan said the sanctions are necessary to protect public safety and uphold the integrity of the licensing system.

He stressed that fraud will carry real and lasting consequences.