LTO Mimaropa regional director suspended over corruption allegations

LTO-MIMAROPA REGIONAL OFFICE FB

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Thursday said it has suspended the regional director of the agency in Mimaropa pending an ongoing investigation due to allegations of corruption.

“I recalled to the LTO Central Office the RD (regional director) of LTO-Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) while the issue is being investigated due to alleged anomalies,” LTO chief Markus Lacanilao said in a statement.

“This is part of our widespread anticorruption effort that aims to clean the ranks of LTO,” he added.

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According to the agency, it received complaints claiming that the staff of the suspended regional director had asked for P50,000 from “proponents” of the LTO in exchange for processing their application.

“Based on the initial investigation, their modus is to keep the applications of certain proponents in the regional office pending so that they will be forced to provide P50,000 each month,” Lacanilao explained.

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Evidence of the alleged corruption included a receipt from one of the complainants who sent the money through a remittance service, LTO said.

Moreover, the agency said it has also received complaints from several transport groups against the implicated LTO official, alleging that they had to pay a fee of P7,000 for each of their vehicles.

If they do not pay, the transport groups said their documents will be blocked or agency staff would find “holes” in them.

Apart from the complaints, Lanilao said the LTO office in Mimaropa also lacked proper facilities for clients, noting how some of the chairs in the waiting area were already damaged. /cb