The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a special task force that will handle cases involving colorum vehicles.

Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the anti-colorum prosecution task force will focus on case build-up and information dissemination campaigns to strengthen enforcement and prosecutions.

Vida said the creation of a dedicated task force would allow authorities to develop deeper expertise on the issue.

“And another thing, we will cascade the information and various strategies that we will learn for the case build-up so we can prosecute those who should be prosecuted,” Vida said in the vernacular.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Vigor Mendoza II said their efforts are focused on organized crime syndicates that support or protect colorum operations.

Mendoza added that the LTFRB is coordinating with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission for intelligence-gathering operations.

“The LTFRB, together with the LTO, will fix the complaints and formally file them before this task force against these illegal operations,” Mendoza said, also speaking in the vernacular.

Deputy State Prosecutor Deana Perez echoed the call, underscoring the importance of going after the masterminds behind the operations.

“We cannot eradicate this if we only go after individual drivers. We need to go for the head of the organized group or the syndicate running these operations,” Perez said.

She added that members of law enforcement agencies found to be conspiring with those involved in colorum operations will also be included in the cases to be filed.