LTFRB officer, fixer charged for estafa

A record officer of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board together with an alleged fixer were charged with graft and corruption and estafa before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for allegedly issuing fake franchises.

LTFRB record officer I Margarito Kong and Archipo Cabañero were charged by the National Bureau of Investigation for violation of the Republic Act 3019 otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and article 217 of the Revised Penal Code or Estafa.

Joyce Ann Deza, a taxi operator, earlier complained to the NBI that she was issued fake franchises for her three taxi units.

Deza said that sometime in April 2004 a friend introduced her to Cabañero who claimed to have contacts with the Land Transportation Office and LTFRB and that she could facilitate the conversion of her three private vehicles into taxis.

Deza said Cabañero asked from her a total of P74,000, P69,000 for the conversions and franchises and P5,000 for the processing fee. The complainant said that she was surprised to learn later that the franchises given to her were actually fake.

She said the three franchises issued to her were actually owned by taxi operators, Ruben Fernandez, Redusta Agustin and Melquiadez Payot.

Investigation conducted by NBI agent Gregorio Algoso Jr. revealed that Kong is the record custodian of the LTFRB, who is the sole accountable officer responsible for keeping the original Certificates of Public Conveyance issued to an operator.

Further investigation showed that Kong signed the verification of the franchises issued to Deza even if these are actually owned by the other operators. - Fred P. Languido