LTO-6 cracks whip against ‘fixers’

ILOILO CITY — The Land Transportation Office Region 6 (LTO-6) has taken swift action against two personnel caught in separate corruption incidents, signaling a strong no-tolerance stance against “fixing” schemes, the agency announced Tuesday.

Regional director Atty. Gaudioso Geduspan II issued a three-month preventive suspension without pay to a regular Operations Division employee and immediately terminated a job-order worker following reports of fraudulent transactions and undue interference with law enforcers.

The suspended employee is under formal investigation for Grave Misconduct, Serious Dishonesty, and violations of the Ease of Doing Business Act. The employee allegedly used a dummy Facebook account to contact apprehended drivers, offering to “fix” their violations for reduced payments and promising to secure the release of their licenses and plates.

This case came to light when a motorist, cited for reckless driving, recorded a transaction where the employee offered to reduce a P12,000 penalty for an unregistered vehicle to P7,000.

Geduspan stated that the preventive suspension is necessary to prevent obstruction of the ongoing investigation by the LTO-6’s Intelligence and Investigation Unit.

In a separate incident on 9 October in Zarraga, Iloilo, a job-order employee was fired after evidence showed a motorist attempting to bypass law enforcers by dealing directly with the personnel.

The individual’s name and mobile number were reportedly posted inside the vehicle, raising concerns about undue influence.

Geduspan, along with assistant regional director Jeck Conlu, condemned the acts as a “direct assault on public service integrity” and possible violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

“These swift disciplinary actions serve as a strong warning: improper influence, fixers and corruption have no place in LTO-6,” Geduspan said.