LTO exec in P10-M bribe axed

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — After being placed in a floating status, a former head of one of the district offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Cagayan Valley was finally suspended for his alleged extortion activities.

LTO chief Edgardo Abenina suspended Ernesto Fernandez, former head of LTO’s San Isidro (Isabela) district office, "for dishonesty, grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty."

His suspension stemmed from numerous complaints over his alleged extortion activities during his stint as LTO district chief wherein he reportedly amassed at least P10 million from drivers.

The suspension order, obtained by The STAR yesterday, took effect last Aug. 28 or "upon receipt of the order pursuant to Section 19, Rule I of memorandum circular No. 19, series of 1999 of the Civil Service Commission."

The suspension was the result of a pending administrative complaint of LTO Regional Director Moises Almuete filed last Aug. 17 against Fernandez for allegedly shortchanging drivers by forcing them to pay so-called seminar fees after being caught violating LTO rules.

Based on the complaints, Almuete said, more than 15,000 drivers as well as road violators had been shortchanged by Fernandez since 1998 by charging the drivers at least P500 each for a seminar fee which never happened.

"Records show that he (Fernandez) was able to amass at least P10 million since 1998 by charging poor drivers supposed payment for the conduct of a seminar that never happened," Almuete said in his report to Abenina.

Earlier, the suspended LTO official accused Almuete of imposing a "quota system" wherein all LTO district heads were allegedly told to submit P10,000 to P15,000 monthly to Almuete.

But Abenina cleared Almuete of the charges including his alleged resorting to nepotism, immorality and other irregularities. Instead, he suspended Fernandez for his reported extortion activities.

Almuete said that the allegations of Fernandez, whom he placed in a floating status prior to his suspension, were basically made to divert attention away from the ongoing probe against him over his illegal activities.

Meanwhile, several drivers victimized by Fernandez’s alleged illegal collection are now submitting their individual affidavit for the filing of a multimillion-peso class suit against him and one Ofelia Butalon, Fernandez’s adjudicating officer at the LTO-San Isidro district office.

The complainants claimed that the two conspired in charging fees for non-existent seminars from thousands of drivers since 1998 or during their stay in San Isidro district office until last year.

Butalon is now assigned at the LTO-Bayombong (Nueva Vizcaya) district office.

In their sworn affidavits, the drivers, most of them from Isabela and plying the Santiago City-Tuguegarao City route, accused Fernandez and Butalon of charging them at least P500 each as seminar fee.

Among those who had already filed affidavits regarding the alleged irregular transactions of Butalon and Fernandez were Eddie Ulep of Divisoria, Santiago City, and Camilo Dacquel of Arabiat in Echague, Isabela.