LTFRB-Manila to do inventory of taxi franchises in Region 7

CEBU, Philippines – A team of investigators from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Manila is expected to arrive in Cebu on Tuesday to conduct a three-day inventory of all taxi franchises issued by the LTFRB regional officials.

LTFRB-7 director Benjamin Go is hoping that the team, headed by Nida Quibic, chief of the LTFRB Management and Information Division, will confirm his earlier findings that his predecessors had violated the existing moratorium.

"I'm 101 percent sure g'yud nga magkapareho ang among findings kay mga tarung ni sila nga mga tawo nga gipadala dinhi para mohimo'g audit," Go said, referring to Quibic, whose team include Lilia Coloma and Atty. Leah Rojas of the technical division and legal division, respectively of the LTFRB-Manila as members.

"If the findings of the audit team confirms my findings, solid na g'yud kaayo na," the LTFRB-7 director said.

It was Go who asked the top officials of LTFRB-Manila and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to conduct an inventory of all taxi franchises issued by the LTFRB-7.

Go said when the LTFRB-Manila suspended the issuance of additional taxi franchises in Metro Cebu in 2003 there were still 4,000 units that time, but because the former LTFRB-7 directors defied the order, the figure rose up to more than 6,000 now.

Go earlier accused lawyer Evelyn Misal, his chief legal officer who also served as hearing officer of applications for franchises as one of the persons who defied the moratorium based on the documents that he had gathered.

"I will stand as witness against all those illegal franchises that were issued by my predecessors when this will be investigated by central office of LTFRB," Go said. (FREEMAN)