Authorities on Wednesday caught three alleged leaders of a syndicate faking Land Transportation Office (LTO)-issued driver’s licenses in Baguio City.
Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in coordination with LTO-Cordillera regional director Francis Almora arrested Richard Allen Badua, 26; John Lawrence Fernandez, 22; and Vilmor Garcia; all from Baguio City.
Badua and Fernandez were first caught Wednesday morning when they were about to hand over fake driver’s licenses to a victim at Barangay San Vicente, the supposed drop off point of the licenses.
A third ring member, Vilmor Garcia, who reportedly receives the payment for the driver’s license renewal, was caught several hours after.
Chief Master Sergeant Veronica Villareal, spokesperson of the CIDG, said that at least eight of the fake driver’s license syndicate victims earlier sought their help to corner the syndicate members charging P4,000 for a driver’s license renewal without personally going to the LTO office.
Villareal claimed the “victims”, all motorcycle riders of food delivery services in the city, complained that the licenses were obviously counterfeit.
Almora said he found out that the renewed driver’s licenses were nowhere from the LTO database, aside from the absence of security features of the printed licenses.
Villareal claimed that the ring members are urging driver’s license applicants who failed the written examinations given by the LTO in Baguio City to instead obtain their licenses in Manila for just a photograph and a specimen signature. In a week’s time, the fake license will be delivered to the victims.
Garcia belied the accusation of their victims.
The trio were charged with falsificaion of public documents and estafa before the Baguio Prosecutors Office.
Almora reminded drivers and applicants of driver’s licenses to transact only at their offices to avoid getting victimized by unscrupulous individuals. – Artemio Dumlao
