THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced that it has suspended 107 driving schools across the country over the last two weeks for issuing fake Theoretical Driving Course certificates.
This is one of the requirements to get a driver’s license, along with a practical driving examination certificate.
“Nag-issue kami ng show cause (order) diyan para to give them the opportunity to explain their side pero in the meantime, suspended muna sila,” said LTO chief Vigor Mendoza during a press conference at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) main office in San Juan City.
According to Mendoza, most of the suspended driving schools are located in Regions 3, 4A, and in the National Capital Region.
He said he has also called for LTO’s regional and district officers in those areas to address the problem.
“Papa-explain natin ‘yan, kung bakit nangyayari ito sa paligid niyo? Hindi naman pwedeng pikit mata lang tayo. Ako, nasa central office. Bakit ko nalalaman ang problema dyan sa Batangas o sa Palawan? The more you should know about it. Malapit kayo sa sitwasyon eh,” he said.
FAKE DRIVER’S LICENSES
The LTO is also cracking down on fixers selling fake driver’s licenses online. A suspect caught by the Philippine National Police Anti Cybercrime Group was presented during the same press briefing.
DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said this is just one of many arrests that the government will be making as part of its road safety campaign.
“Kung titignan mo ‘yung mga serbisyong binebenta nila, for P1,000, P2,000, P5,000 nakalagay doon, halimbawa, non-pro driver’s license without actual driving… ‘Yang driver na ‘yan, ‘pag nakakuha ng lisensya at hindi marunong magmaneho, most likely makakadisgrasya yan. Baka makakapatay pa yan kaya this is no joke,” he said.
“‘Yan ang isa sa mga rason kung bakit ang dami nating aksidente ngayon,” he added, in light of several deadly road crashes that occurred just this month of May.
Dizon warned that LTO officials who are found to be in cahoots with fixers and scammers will be punished.
“Anyone from the LTO na kumukunsinti o nakikipag-sabwatan dito sa mga online fixer na ‘to at iba pang mga fixer ay hindi lang tatanggalin ni Asec. Vigor kundi kakasuhan din at makukulong din kasama nitong mga scammer na ‘to,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Vigor also urged the public not to patronize fake driver’s licenses as they may also face criminal prosecution.
“Hindi lang namin ide-deny yung pag-renew ng lisensya mo, kasi wala ka namang lisensya talaga. We will disqualify you from applying for a legitimate license. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be now the subject of a case to be filed for falsification of public documents which has a penalty of 12 years (imprisonment),” he said.
STREAMLINING OF LTO PROCESSES
At the same time, Dizon said the DOTr and LTO will work to make the process of getting a driver’s license easier so that people would not have to resort to illegal means.
“Kailangan nating pasimplehin, pabilisin, kailangan nating iwasan yung mga paulit-ulit na rekisitos at steps na minsan nagiging sanhi rin ng korapsyon. Because the more steps, the more requirements, ‘pag nahihirapan ang tao… maglalagay na lang sila or pupunta sila sa mga kamukha nito para mapadali,” he said. (ABS-CBN News)
