By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said Wednesday it is considering filing criminal charges against two Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers dragged into the flood control project mess for allegedly using fake driver’s licenses to enter casinos.
At a press briefing in Camp Crame, LTO chief Vigor Mendoza said they have issued a show cause order to former Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez and former Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara, requiring them to attend a hearing on Sept. 12 over their alleged use of fake licenses.
Mendoza said the LTO is already investigating how and where the two obtained their fake licenses, which were disclosed at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into supposed ghost flood control projects.
He said the two could also be subject to revocation and perpetual disqualification from holding a driver’s license for their actions.
Mendoza said the agency is already looking into adding security features to driver’s licenses to prevent them from being counterfeited.
“Continuous ang aming ugnayan sa cybercrime division para masugpo na itong pekeng lisensya. Hindi lang pala sa casino mayroong pekeng lisensya,” he said.
More fake gov’t IDs
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police–Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), at the same press briefing, said it has arrested a couple selling fake government identification cards and documents in Valenzuela City.
PNP-ACG chief, PBGen. Bernard Yang said the couple, “Chippie,” 44, and his wife, “Kaye,” 40, were nabbed at a residence in Valenzuela, where 391 falsified government IDs and other documents were confiscated on Sept. 8.
Through surveillance, investigators found out that the suspects were selling fake IDs for P40 each that were delivered to resellers through courier services.
It was further discovered that aside from counterfeit IDs, the suspects were also offering falsified government documents, such as member data records of PhilHealth, which were being sold for P400 each, together with a forged PhilHealth ID. They were also allegedly selling fake persons with disability cards.
Yang said the suspects claimed to be mere resellers who sourced the counterfeit IDs from a supplier.
He said the suspects would face charges for violating Article 172 (Falsification by Private Individual and Use of Falsified Documents) of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).
Yang said the operation aligns with the directive of acting PNP chief, PLt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., to strengthen proactive and reactive measures against cybercrime and ensure public safety in the digital space.
