LTO, QCDACT nab 2 online fixers

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) recently arrested two fixers offering non-appearance renewal of motor vehicle registration online.

The government agency identified the suspects as 38-year-old Jefferson Uy, and 55-year-old Arnel Miranda.

The arrests, the agency shared, were jointly conducted by the LTO Investigation and Intelligence Division (IID) under Officer-In-Charge (OIC) Renante Melitante and the Quezon City-Diliman Anti-Cybercrime Team (QCDACT) led by PLT Michael Bernardo.

LTO OIC and concurrent Executive Director Atty. Romeo Vera Cruz said that a member of the LTO-QCDACT Joint Task Force posed as a client who availed Uy's non-appearance renewal of motor vehicle registration service through the Messenger app. 

After transacting with Uy, the suspect informed the agent that the registration was renewed and that the original receipt (OR) is ready for pick-up, which led to his apprehension.

During the interrogation, Uy named Miranda as the one processing the transaction at the LTO Novaliches District office, Quezon City, which then led to the arrest of the second suspect.

Melitante said that the two are currently under QCDACT custody for possible violations of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code on deceit/swindling (estafa) and Republic Act (RA) 11032 (Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018), both in relation to Section 6 of RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).  They will undergo inquest proceedings before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office.

Meanwhile, Vera Cruz reminded the public that those who need to conduct transactions before the agency must directly go to their offices. “To all LTO clients, please refrain from patronizing fixers for your own protection. You may also be equally liable under the law,” he said.

Further, he also warned individuals and employees not to participate in any illegal activities as they will be dealt with under the full force of the law.  “The LTO will relentlessly operate against these spurious individuals in our effort to clean up the bureaucracy to protect our clients,” he noted.

To note, Vera Cruz was appointed by new Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista last July 1.

Photos from Land Transportation Office Facebook Page

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