LTFRB probes 8 ‘drug taxis’

MANILA, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is investigating eight cases of taxi drivers allegedly drugging their passengers.

Following a hearing on Wednesday, LTFRB chair Winston Ginez said the board will invite the other complainants in the reports received and gathered by the agency.

“Some reports surfaced on social media, some were referred to us by the police while some were filed by complainants who personally came to us,” Ginez told The STAR in an interview.

Based on a list provided by Ginez, eight taxicabs were tagged in the different cases, including the one heard by the board on Wednesday, the taxicab with plate number UVW-243 driven by cabbie Ronald Allan Kelly.

The other taxicabs were identified through their plate numbers: TXM-117; TYK-830; TXY-383; TVK-786; TWS-619; and NYT-618.

According to Ginez, the complainants were all women and the incidents all happened in Metro Manila.

In all the cases, the complainants claimed the driver sprayed a chemical that made them dizzy, purportedly so the driver could commit a crime.

It was not clear at the moment how many of these complainants actually fell prey to the modus since the complainant who went to the LTFRB on Wednesday said she managed to get off the taxi before anything happened.

With the complaints, the taxicab operators are facing possible sanctions for alleged violation of the terms of their franchise.

Following the hearing on Wednesday, the board suspended for 30 days the franchise of the concerned cab as it heard the case.

The board also told the operator to respond to the complaint filed against the taxicab and to submit to the board the personal information of the driver, who claimed what he sprayed was just the fabric conditioner “Downy” to remove the smell of the damp carpet.