BACOLOD CITY - Three persons, including a couple were arrested on Thursday for allegedly falsifying and manufacturing driver’s licenses here.
Joint operatives of the Bacolod City Mobile Force Company, and Land Transportation Office (LTO)-6 in coordination with Police Station 1 conducted entrapment operation at the Central Public Market which resulted in the apprehension of Lorebelle Umbao, 43; and her live-in partner Jefferson Panisa, 33, both residents of Barangay Mansilingan here.
The LTO-6 coordinated with the police, following reports of alleged manufacture of fake driver’s licenses here, from alleged fixers who were previously arrested in Iloilo last year.
Police Maj. Ramel Sarona, head of Police Station 1, said the couple was believed to be runners, who are transacting with the clients.
Authorities confiscated from them P3,000 boodle money, the P500 marked money, and several fake LTO driver’s licenses.
Aside from them, authorities also arrested Marlon Pandongan, 48, of Bago City, Negros Occidental, in a follow-up operation, who was identified as the alleged manufacturer of the fake licenses.
Sarona said that Pandongan was reportedly engaging in the said business for years now, adding that he even produces other government Identification cards.
Recovered by authorities from him were computer, and other equipment in manufacturing fake documents.
Sarona said that violation of Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, and falsification of public documents by a private individual will be filed against the three suspects, who are detained at Police Station 1.
The LTO-6 urged the victims of these individuals to surface to verify the authenticity of their driver’s licenses and other Identification cards, and to press charges against them.