Ex-LTO-7 worker with 30 arrest warrants arrested

CEBU, Philippines —  A former disbursing officer of Land Transportation Office- 7 who is facing several complaints was arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Marissa Abear Veriña was arrested in Barangay Bangkal, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on July 5. She has been tagged as the number 1 most wanted person in the Province of Cebu.

Veriña was the subject of at least 30 separate warrants of arrest from 2014 to 2020. She is facing charges for graft and corruption, malversation of public funds, falsification of public/official documents, and illegal use of public funds.

She was released after posting bail of P1,912,000.

Veriña had worked as clerk at the LTO-7 from December 1999 to September 2007, issuing payroll checks to the agency’s regional employees and disbursing budget for administrative and operational purposes.

Veriña allegedly used her position to issue multiple checks with falsified supporting documents.

She resigned from the agency and reportedly went into hiding in Shanwi, China but eventually returned to the Philippines, staying from Lapu Lapu City to Minglanilla town to evade arrest.

Veriña is now under the custody of the CIDG. — LPM (FREEMAN)