A 41-year old employee of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is now facing criminal and administrative charges after he was accused of extorting money from a truck driver in exchange for the dropping of cases involving an operation of a colorum vehicle in San Fernando, Pampanga.
No less than LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II has directed the agency’s regional director in Central Luzon to make sure that suspect Kristofferson Canlas will suffer the consequences of his illegal activities.
“I have directed the LTO Office 3 regional director, retired police general Ronnie Montejo, to impose a preventive suspension on the arrested LTO personnel pending investigation, considering the reported act or offense is a grave nature,” said Mendoza.
“I also gave specific instructions to include the immediate superior office as a co-respondent under the Doctrine of Command Responsibility,” he added.
Canlas was arrested on Friday, July 21, in an entrapment operation based on the complaint of the owner of the truck which he intercepted.
Based on the police report, Canlas demanded P70,000 in exchange for the release of the truck and the dropping of the case.
But the driver informed the local police of the incident which resulted in the arrest of Canlas and his alleged cohort.
In a memorandum, Mendoza said he wants the administrative proceedings are heard and decided within 90 days and ordered the conduct of an audit inventory on the handheld device and manual temporary operators pemits issued to the respondent.
He also ordered the the recall of all government property and other equipment, including the handheld device and firearm that were issued.
The memo sent by Mendoza also included an instruction for Montejo to submit actions taken/initial compliance within 10 days upon receipt of the directive.
