Probe fake franchises — Rivera

Transportation Secretary Vicente Rivera Jr. ordered yesterday an investigation into reports that fake franchise contracts have been issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Rivera said he would not hesistate to act against any LTFRB official and employee found involved in this anomaly. He tapped DOTC Action Center director Rojelio Estacio to lead the probe.

"I don’t tolerate illegal activities. I want to know the source of these fake franchises and the guilty ones will be dealt with accordingly," he warned.

The Philippine Confederation of Drivers Organization-Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (PCDO-ACTO) complained to Rivera that 740 of its members were issued fake franchises by the LTFRB.

But LTFRB chairman Dante Lantin denied this complaint. He instead, expressed suspicion that the fake franchises were issued by fixers.

"Why will we issue fake franchises? Maybe, they negotiated with fixers and not with authorized LTFRB personnel. They did not heed our earlier call to report to us any fixers," Lantin added.

According to Efren de Luna, PCDO-ACTO president, the victims discovered that their franchises were fake when they applied for renewal at the LTFRB.

De Luna said that the LTFRB have rejected their applications for renewal, citing they were fake.

"We have been in the transport business for so long. We don’t deal with fixers because we know the implications. The fake franchise came from the LTFRB people," he added.

During a meeting yesterday, Rivera assured De Luna’s group that the DOTC would look into their complaints and try to put things in order. — Sheila Crisostomo