Ombudsman to look into 'abuses' of towing firms

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas will now look into the alleged abuses committed by the personnel of the towing contractors of Cebu City.

Ombudsman Director Carla Tangco yesterday said she will open a fact-finding investigation into it based on newspaper reports.

Tangco said it is part of their mandate to investigate reports of irregularities even without a formal complaint.

She said the anti-graft office will ask the officials concerned to explain the reported abuses and all other issues related to the towing operations. On top of the alleged abuses, the towing operation in the city is also said to be grossly disadvantageous to the government because the bulk of the towing fees collected goes to the contractor.

The Cebu City Council had approved that only 25 percent of the towing fees will go to the city coffers, while the rest will be the revenue of the private towing companies.

Owners of impounded four-wheeled vehicles need to pay P2,500 as towing fee and P100 fine for illegal parking, while the towing companies are also charging P1,500 for every motorcycle and P100 fine for the illegal parking violation.

There are two private towing companies – Road Warriors Towing Services and One-Stop Towing Services – whose tow trucks and personnel are always roaming around the city to look for illegally-parked vehicles.

The reports alleged that the two private towing companies are owned by the friends of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Tangco said all of these will be looked into in the fact-finding investigation.

The Cebu City Council yesterday also formed an adhoc committee headed by former councilor and now city consultant Manuel Legaspi to look into the issue of whether the private towing companies have complied with the existing ordinance.

Several motorists have complained against the towing company personnel because they just tow away the vehicles found to be illegally parked without giving any warning to the owner or the driver as what is provided for in the ordinance.

Motorists are also complaining that the towing personnel would tow the vehicle even if they are already around.

The most recent reported abuse committed by the towing personnel of the private contractor is the alleged mauling of a motorcycle driver, who sped off after being flagged down for not wearing a crash helmet.

Freddie Teopez, 32, was allegedly mauled by Glencel Arnaiz, an employee of One-Stop Towing Services, but the towing company yesterday had filed criminal charges for direct assault against Teopez before the city prosecutor’s office.

 Efren Navales of One-Stop Towing Services denied that Arnaiz had mauled Teopez saying that it was Teopez, who rammed the rear portion of their tow truck resulting to his injuries.

Tinago Barangay Councilman Joel Garganera also complained of the alleged abuses by the towing personnel.

In fact, Garganera figured in an altercation with them last April 8 after the barangay official stopped the towing personnel from pulling out an illegally-parked vehicle near Cebu Doctors Hospital.

The towing personnel, Mark Anthony Boyo, Gerald Boyo and Allan Hekin, already charged Garganera before the Cebu City Prosecutors Office for grave threats and theft.

They accused Garganera of stealing the memory card of the camera they were using to document their towing operations.

According to them, on April 8 at about 1:30 o’clock in the morning they were roaming around the streets of the city to enforce the City Ordinance No. 2004 together with traffic enforcer Jonathan Romaiz.

While on roving, Romaiz spotted a SUV parked along Don Jose Avila St. corner F. Ramos in Barangay Capitol Site where overnight parking is prohibited.

They said Romaiz called the attention of a bystander who was standing nearby to ask for the owner of the vehicle but since there was no driver inside Romaiz requested them to tow the vehicle.

However, as they tried to mount the vehicle for towing Garganera and several other persons came and shouted at them. They were threatened of being harmed physically prompting them to forego with the towing. — Fred P. Languido with Rene Borromeo/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)