NBI arrests Bustos Bulacan LTO chief for 'fixing' licenses

Bustos LTO chief and fixer nabbed by authorities

It feels good to see the ranks of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) finally and publicly get cleaned up. In this case, a Bulacan LTO chief was apprehended for allegedly conspiring with a fixer. 

Carlito Diala Calingo, the head of the LTO in Bustos, Bulacan, together with Michael Santos Mendoza, a known fixer, was arrested for processing driver’s license applications without following the proper processes during an entrapment operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) last September 24, 2024.

According to ARTA’s Public Assistance Division (PAD), an anonymous complaint on an alleged rampant fixing activity in the local LTO of Bustos was received, leading the Agency to conduct various validations and seek coordination with the NBI’s Public Corruption Division (PCD) once the complaint was confirmed.

Calingo was caught with Mendoza who demanded PHP 7,000 for a driver’s license renewal without undergoing the proper process and standard procedures. Their arrest followed after getting caught ordering a staff member to proceed with the fixed application. 

In accordance with Republic Act (RA) No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act Section 9, it is stated that a public officer who has entered a contract or transaction on behalf of the government that manifested grossly disadvantageous is a violator.

Also, under RA No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Law of 2018, Section 4 (e), any individual, regardless of whether or not affiliated with a government agency or office, that assists in the speedy completion of transactions for personal monetary gains, or any other advantage or consideration, also known as a fixer, enables corruption and promotes red tape.

ARTA through the Investigation Enforcement and Litigation Office (IELO) recommended the prosecution of Calingo and his cohorts for violating RA 11032 and RA 3019. Evidence from the entrapment operation was collected, supported by witness statements from the Bulacan LTO employees corroborating the illegal activities of the said Chief, and will be used as a basis for the charges.

ARTA and NBI previously signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) last June 4, 2024, formalizing both agencies' vowed partnership in improving the ease of doing business in the country. As agreed, NBI will assist ARTA in the conduct of investigations and entrapment operations on violations involving fixing, bribery, and other similar offenses.

ARTA says they are committed to eradicating all sorts of red tape through enforcement and implementation mandates to align with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directives.