LTFRB probers shocked by overwhelming evidence?

CEBU, Philippines - Even before the audit team from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Manila could release the result of their investigation into the alleged illegal issuances of taxi franchises in Metro Cebu, LTFRB-7 director Benjamin Go is convinced that the investigators have found overwhelming evidence of the anomaly perpetrated by his predecessors.

Go said that this was evident on the “facial expressions” and the “body language” of the investigators.

“They were very tight-lipped and silent. They just kept working overtime, even skipping meals, but based on their facial reactions while doing the audit, I can tell that they looked shocked and disgusted,” Go told The FREEMAN yesterday.

The audit team headed by Nida Quibic, head of the LTFRB Management and Information Division, were sent in Cebu to conduct audit of all taxi franchises to find out how many of them were granted after the moratorium was issued in 2003.

Quibic’s team composed of Lilia Coloma and Atty. Leah Rojas of the LTFRB-Manila technical and legal divisions, respectively, finished the audit last Friday. The same team was responsible in the audit earlier conducted in the LTFRB offices in Iloilo and Baguio which led to the dismissal from service of an LTFRB lawyer.

According to Go, the team is expected to submit their findings and recommendations to the LTFRB Board and to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) by Friday next week.

Go thanked the LTFRB Board for sending a team of investigators in Cebu to check the “large- scale blatant and daring anomaly” that he found.

He said that had the irregularity “left unchecked, these erring officials who are involved in the illegal issuances of taxi franchises will only become more daring because they will think and believe that they can do such things and nobody will ever know and they will never be held accountable.”

Go wished that those involved in the anomalous issuances of taxi franchises will be made to answer and punished.

Go publicly accused LTFRB-7 hearing officer Evelyn Misal as the “most guilty” together with some other hearing officers for endorsing the approval of additional taxi franchises despite the moratorium.

 Misal, who is also the chief legal officer of LTFRB-7, refused to make any comment about the accusation.

“It is very sad that the very people entrusted with the integrity of our agency’s processes, procedures and rules are the ones who knowingly, willfully and intentionally bastardize them. Instead of protecting the integrity of the office, these people have bastardized it,” Go said.

After Go assumed as LTFRB-7 director in March 26 he immediately reviewed all the documents in his office and found out several irregularities done by his predecessors in connivance with the hearing officers.

Go found out that from 4,000 taxi franchises in 2003 the statistics went up to 6,000 because the former directors defied the moratorium order. (FREEMAN)