LTO complaints on the rise

The Spy-ring reported that computers at the LTO Southern licensing center have been off line for several days. People coming all the way from provinces have refused to go home, hanging around the premises hoping the computers will get fixed. But the LTO personnel are refusing to process the applications manually, so the place is like a hellhole stinking like a flea market with all those people camping out and refusing to go home. Worse, there’s not even a working telephone line in the place, informants disclosed. Judging from the number of complaints Spybiz has been receiving ranging from inaccurate smoke belching machines to two-year-old settled violations mysteriously getting resurrected, it looks like all those claims that the LTO has been cleaned up by Leandro Mendoza are far from true. On the contrary, corruption is still reportedly very rampant, and people are getting angrier by the hour. With complaints against his agency mounting, Larry Mendoza better do something before the legendary anger of the "Taray Queen" bears down on him.   

Million peso bank scam

Last year, reports surfaced that a bank manager who ran away with funds from clients had been caught in the United States. According to NBI agents, the woman was detained at a US penal institution and had offered voluntary deportation, with NBI agents said to accompany the woman back to the country. However, victims defrauded of millions by this bank manager are still wondering whatever happened to their case. The woman, who was identified in reports as a certain Maria Teresa Zapanta, allegedly received funds from long time bank clients and even issued valid bank certificates and passbooks, leading victims to believe they had placements with the bank. Zapanta however reportedly pocketed the huge amounts. Defrauded clients could not believe how the former bank manager was able to get away with the scam considering that the bank supposedly implemented strict controls. What makes it even worse is that the bank reportedly denied claims for reimbursement, citing a 10-year prescription period on the deposits as a reason. Despite repeated demands from victims’ lawyers who argued that the prescription period could not apply as the certificates reveal that accounts have been regularly updated with maturity no later than five years ago, the bank continues to ignore the victims’ plights. The bank — which was even singled out by a government agency as its choice for an ATM program reportedly because it uses biometric technology — refuses to accept that it was its carelessness in implementing the vaunted controls which allowed one of their managers to perpetrate the scam.

Tengco very much

Former Tony Boy Cojuangco right hand man and close confidante Al Tengco has ventured on his own and put up his own business.  Along with his Japanese partner, Al put up a Japanese restaurant called Nanohana, located at the back of the Tower Club in Makati. It had a successful soft opening sometime last week. In fact, the "Who’s Who" of Manila are beginning to troop to this top-class Japanese resto which offers a fabulous menu with just the right prices. Another business Al has opened is a specialty car repair shop along Pasong Tamo in Makati. It’s a top-of-the-line place where top-of-the-line clients bring their top-of-the-line cars. Because they now have a place where they can bring their expensive toys, the big boys are happy to say, "Tengco very much, Al." 

Farewell for good?

Col. Terry Cook, the polo playing Defense and Army Attaché of the US Embassy, is retiring this July. Sources said however that Col. Cook has opted to stay in the country, particularly in Subic where he and his wife Chanel will be moving. It seems a lot of people from the US Embassy are opting to retire in Manila or elsewhere in the country, like in the case of Col. Cook. Observers are wondering if the "retirees" are indeed hanging their uniforms in the closet for good, or if they are really part of the closet intel group. 

Spy tidbiz: Crying over spilled milk

A 4,800-gallon tanker overturned along a highway in Landover, Maryland, prompting Department of the Environment personnel and hazardous material crews to rush onto the scene to check out the leaking material. It turned out to be unprocessed milk, which spilled along the road and stopped traffic for several hours. Is it a classic case of crying over spilled milk, or is it crying because of the stinky, slippery conditions which caused so much traffic?

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