LTO-7 chief to seek legal remedy vs Bohol client

CEBU, Philippines —  Land Transportation Office-7 regional director Victor Caindec will file cyberlibel and other applicable charges against a woman from Bohol Province who maligned him and his office via Facebook.

The woman reportedly has gone live on Facebook berating some LTO personnel in Bohol after her motorcycle was impounded. She accused Caindec of asking P500 as processing fee for the motorcycle’s registration.

Caindec has denied such allegation and issued a notice to the motorcycle dealer (where the woman bought her motorcycle) to explain.

LTO-7 in Bohol has been launching an operation to apprehend motorcycles without registration just like the motorcycle of the woman who ranted on Facebook.

Caindec explained that their operation in Bohol came after the Presidential Action Center endorsed to them a complaint several weeks ago that LTO-Bohol is not apprehending unregistered motorcycles.

“So, nagsugod mi og panakop. Kung dili mi manakop, naay masuko. Kung manakop pud mi, naa lang gihapon masuko. Aw manakop na lang ko, aron sila ang masuko nako,” said Caindec, in a press conference yesterday.

LTO Liloan

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has signed a law establishing a district office of the LTO in Liloan, Cebu.

Duterte signed on April 27, 2022 the Republic Act 11741 principally authored by Fifth District Representative Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco.

Since his historic victory in 2019 elections, Frasco has been giving importance of the transport sector not only in Liloan but also the neighboring municipality of Compostela.

At present, the only LTO branch in the district is located in Danao City which is approximately 15 kilometers away, more or less, from the Municipality of Liloan.

Frasco said given the thriving economic and tourism activities in Liloan and neighboring towns, the volume of vehicles including motorcycles is rapidly increasing.

“The establishment of the LTO in Liloan will undoubtedly aid in accommodating my constituents’ transportation-related transaction within the surrounding areas,” Frasco said.

Frasco filed House Bill No. 4786 on September 23, 2019 and was approved by the House Committee on Transportation on March 11, 2020 without amendments.

The bill was unanimously approved at the House Plenary on May 29, 2020 and was transmitted to the Senate on June 8, 2020 and was finally approved on January 31, 2022.

Senator Grace Poe, who sponsored of the bill in the Senate, said the new law will improve transportation services and create more jobs in the communities.

“With the upgrading or setting up of new Land Transportation Offices, our people will no longer have to travel far and bear long lines to get a license nor have their vehicles registered,” she said in a statement.

The law mandates the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to include in the department’s program the operationalization of the LTO district office in Liloan, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. — GMR (FREEMAN)