Falsifying a legal document is against the law. It involves serious penalties, especially if the perpetrator is — or used to be — a government official. This is exactly what happened at a Municipal Trial Court in Iloilo recently.
As part of its campaign against “fixers” and other illegal activities, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has been relentless, indeed. In Iloilo, a former barangay official has been sentenced to two years in jail. Her crime? Falsifying driver’s licenses.
Ex-Brgy. Official Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison
LTO’s operation against people involved in making fake driver’s licenses has resulted in the arrest of Mary Jane B. Bama, a former barangay official, according to the latest LTO press release.
Thanks to the efforts of LTO Region VI, Bama was convicted of five counts of falsification by a private individual, in accordance with Article 172, Paragraph 1 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.
A Municipal Trial Court in Iloilo has sentenced Bama to two years imprisonment, plus a fine of PHP 5,000 for her illegal activities.
LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II declared that Bama’s case should serve as a strong message against people who are engaged in illegal activities using the LTO. He also stated that the agency is “fighting back” to make sure that clients would not be victimized or scammed.
“Hindi tayo papayag na may mga kliyente tayong mai-scam ng mga taong ito dahil bawat sentimong kanilang binibitawan ay mahalaga dahi pinag-hirapan ito (We will not allow our clients to get scammed by these people because they worked hard for every centavo that they spend),” Asst. Sec. Mendoza said.
“Magsilbi sanang aral ito sa iba na tumigil na sa kanilang mga iligal na gawain (May this serve as a lesson for others to stop their illegal activities),” the LTO Chief added.
Asst. Secc. Mendoza praised LTO Region VI for its efforts to clean all of its offices of illegal activities. He also praised the regional office for filing the necessary charges and taking legal offensive.
Final Thoughts
Kudos to LTO Region VI for successfully addressing this case! We hope that this would serve as a serious warning against other individuals and groups who are engaged in criminal activities.
This case also serves as a reminder for new drivers and other LTO clients to avoid “fixers.” Read this article to know more about the reasons why everyone should avoid fixers.