Breaking the back of ‘fixers’ culture

If there is one impactful benefit to come out of the government’s digitalization program, it is breaking the back of the “fixer” culture. Notoriously known in the past for the proliferation of “fixers” operating even within its own office premises, such culture was most prevalent in public transactions like those at the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay last Wednesday, LTO assistant secretary Vigor Mendoza II took pride in the strides in their campaign to put an end to the “fixer” system. Mendoza conceded the system of “fixers” has become an endemic malady at the LTO. Since he took over as LTO chief, Mendoza further stepped up their digitalization of the processes to remove “fixers” out of their nefarious presence in the two major revenue-generating functions of this agency. Mendoza also attributed to the increased online transactions the lessened face-to-face interactions or human contact, to minimize if not totally eliminate their twin evils of graft and corruption.

Attached under the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the LTO generated P33 billion in revenues last year out of fees and charges on motor vehicle registration and driver’s licensing. Thus, LTO has been the fourth highest revenue-generating agency of the government. Albeit reluctantly, Mendoza conceded the LTO may need to raise a little bit their agency fees and charges starting next year.

Mendoza, a former party-list Congressman from the 1-United Transport Coalition, embarked on their digitalization program when he got appointed to head the LTO on July 25, 2023. In fact, he cited, the LTO is now in full steam ahead towards digitalization. “It will be a transformation year for the LTO in 2025 as we in the agency implement the digitalization program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Mendoza vowed.

“We will be transformed from a purely transport regulatory body to one of the biggest digital infrastructure of the government,” the LTO chief added.

Starting from just mere three percent last year, Mendoza cited, the LTO has been able to exponentially grow its online transactions to 20 percent of all public transactions at the agency. “This does not only make it more convenient for our stakeholders. (But also) it removes day-to-day transactions which is a systemic change to address the issue of corruption,” the LTO chief pointed out.

Presently, some of these transactions are now being done through online LTO portals to eliminate the “fixer” issues within the agency, Mendoza explained. For renewal of motor vehicle registration, he went on to explain, the motorists will only need to upload to the online portal the required documents such as certificates from LTO-accredited smoke emission testing centers as well as the motor vehicle inspection.

Completing the digitalized system, he added, is making the payment for the renewal of motor vehicle registration through LTO-accredited “gateways” like PayMaya and GCash. Mendoza revealed the LTO has recommended to DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista to allow the agency to open up and expand the payment system using other “gateways” and courier services to handle the delivery of “accountable forms” of the LTO. Mendoza cautioned anew the public against engaging the services of “fixers” since, most often than not, they pay more than the LTO fees and charges.

Worse, the LTO chief warned, they end up with  “fake” driver’s licenses, or get “fake” motor vehicle plates.

A recent case in point was the LTO’s accidental discovery of an illegal business enterprise engaged in producing “fake” car plates. But the sad part of this discovery was finding out this “fake” car plate-making enterprise operates near the LTO head office in East Avenue, Quezon City.

It was an accidental discovery because it stemmed from the celebrated illegal entry to the EDSA Bus Carousel on Nov. 3 of a white luxury sports utility vehicle (SUV) with protocol plate number “7.” The driver got away from apprehending female officer but it was caught on video and went viral the next day in social media. While LTO checked on the vehicle’s registration, the driver and the owner turned themselves in and paid fines for their offense.

As it turned out, the Escalade SUV was registered under a private company. Reserved for Senators to have two car plates “No. 7,” the SUV was using the protocol plate “No. 7” turned out to be “fake.” Further investigation of this case led them to learn about the rampant operation in the area of Quezon City illegally producing LTO Driver’s License and Official Receipt (OR) and Certificate of Registration (CR).

Based from their investigation, the “fake” protocol plate “No. 7” was procured from an illegal enterprise located at the first floor of the Prima Building, East Avenue Corner Magalang St. in Brgy. Pinyahan. With this information, Mendoza revealed, the LTO laid an entrapment operation. “And through this, we were able to identify a person engaged in fabrication of OR/CR and his location,” Mendoza added.

In the raid led by the LTO, assisted by agents from the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), two suspects behind the illegal manufacture of car plates were arrested on site. Under questioning by the CIDG, the two suspects confessed as members of the Cris Falsification Group allegedly involved in fabrication and selling of falsified private and public documents.

The suspects were taken to the CIDG-QCPDFU office at Camp Karingal and face various criminal charges while follow-up operations are still ongoing against their cohorts. Thus, Mendoza disclosed, the LTO has been unrelentless in its intelligence monitoring against “fixers” and their cohorts still working at the 5,000-strong personnel in LTO offices nationwide.

“Let this serve as a warning against fixers and other people making easy money using LTO documents, and even those manufacturing and selling fake license plates, that we will not stop until you are all brought to jail,” the LTO chief vowed.

At the same time, Mendoza announced the LTO has tied up with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) to strengthen and enhance the agency’s cyber security protocols to break the back of the “fixer” culture.