LTO officials cleared of raps; deeper probe sought

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed a string of cases against officials of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for alleged irregular issuance of various certificates of registration.

Graft investigator Amy Rose Soler-Rellin said no sufficient evidence was present to indict Gavino Paden, Jose Rizaldo and James Kabuyaw for grave misconduct, gross and inexcusable negligence, falsification, and for alleged violation of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act. 

Paden was the officer-in-charge of LTO in Toledo City but is now assigned with the LTO office in Mandaue City. Rizaldo is the OIC of LTO’s Palomok field office in South Cotabato while Kabuyaw is chief of LTO’s record’s section in Toledo City.

Despite the dismissal of the complaint, however, Rellin said referred the matter to the National Bureau of Investigation for investigation.

“There is a necessity to investigate the authorship of the certificate of registration issued by the Polomolok Field Office, since the same appears to be irregularly issued in light of the foregoing stated discrepancies with the original certificate registration issued by the Novaliches District Office,” Rellin said.

The complainant in the case, Jose Nelson Ko, president of Golden Sun Finance Corporation, alleged that on June 23, 2007, a certain Emma Cosep availed of a car loan from his company in the amount of P220,000 for the purchase of a 2004 Mitsubishi Adventure GLX M/T.

The loan was approved and released to a certain Alma Gonzales who transferred the vehicle from a certain Lirajoy Laurel of Pasay City.

Ko said he subsequently discovered that the Certificate of Registration dated June 13, 2007 under Laurel’s name was allegedly issued illegally by the LTO Polomolok Extension Office in South Cotabato. It was allegedly Rizaldo who issued the same without showing the “already existing encumbrance” on the said vehicle.

The issuance of the Certificate of Registration allegedly also led to the illegal transfer of registration from Paden to Cosep without indicating the existing encumbrance. Ko said he discovered that the vehicle was indeed mortgaged.

Ko alleged that Kabuyaw refused to answer his queries. He alleged further that the respondents conspired with Gonzales in falsifying the certificate of registration.

It was on June 27, 2007 that the Toledo City District Office of LTO issued a certificate of registration on the subject vehicle while still showing no encumbrance

In his counter-affidavit, Rizaldo denied working at the LTO Polomolok Field Office and denied issuing a certificate of registration. He also denied that the signature on the certificate is his.

Rizaldo said he was assigned at the LTO Koronadal District Office as district head and never in Polomolok Field Office.

The other respondents failed to file their counter-affidavits.

Rellin said the basis of the Toledo City office to issue a certificate of registration against Cosep was the certificate of registration issued by Polomolok Field Office.- (THE FREEMAN)