Export firm owner lodges complaint against LTO agents

CEBU - The owner of an export firm operating inside the Mactan Export Processing Zone in Lapu-Lapu City lodged complaints against four agents of the Land Transportation Office -7 for alleged harassment and indiscriminate traffic citation.

Raul A. Luche, chairman of AB Tech Machineries & Engineering Services Corporation, filed his complaint against Engr. Antonio Dosado, Edgar Catapunan, Porferio Mendoza and a certain “Modar” before LTO-7 Regional Director Raul Aguiluz.

In his complaint, Luche said the three LTO agents seized his company’s new Chevrolet Optra wagon and accused his wife of carrying an expired conduction sticker and forged temporary registration documents.

The incident reportedly happened early afternoon on December 11 when his wife was driving the vehicle out of barangay Cabancalan in Lapu-Lapu City.

The LTO agents reportedly flagged the vehicle and directed his wife to disembark and cited her of bringing bogus documents, thereby insinuating that she was driving a stolen vehicle.

Luche argued that their ownership documents could not have been fake especially that the car was just recently bought from General Motors Inc.

He said that at the time the incident happened, his wife called the car company which, in turn, was sending the plate number and documents to prove the authenticity of the car purchase. But the LTO agents’ team leader allegedly insisted on having the vehicle impounded and immediately called the impounding firm Road Warriors.

“The above agents, sensing that people start to get curious and my wife, as a family rule, will not tolerate corruption, swiftly called Road Warriors and load the vehicle despite the plate number/dealers documents on the way to help my wife. My son also came but the team leader who did not wear a name tag insisted on impounding the vehicle,” the complaint reads.

Luche said the conduction sticker on the vehicle was reportedly given because their car was still on the process of registration and payment of taxes before the incident happened.He also alleged that while there were discrepancies in the car documents, they could not be faulted with the discrepancies because the documents themselves came from the LTO.

It appeared that the original certificate of registration remains unsigned, its chassis number differed from that in the files at the LTO Manila office, its plate number delayed, and the sticker still pending, Luche said. — Jose P. Sollano/JMO(THE FREEMAN)