CAMP GEN. VICENTE LIM, Calamba City, Laguna – A man posing as a Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) personnel was arrested for possessing undocumented gun at Purok 4, Brgy. Lodlod in Lipa City, Batangas.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Team (CIDT) operatives identified the suspect as Virgilio Franco who was arrested on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Leo-Jon Ramos, presiding judge of Regional Trial Court, Branch 85, Lipa City, Batangas.
Seized from the suspect were a caliber .45 pistol, and a .38 revolver and bullets. Both handguns were unlicensed.
Colonel Marlon Santos, regional officer of the CIDG Regional Field Unit-4A, said that the suspect introduced himself as an employee of LTFRB Regional Office in Lipa City, Batangas and even dropped the name of LTFRB top official.
The report added that the suspect was allegedly preying on operators of buses, UV Express and jeepneys with expired franchises and promising his victims that he can process and fix expired franchises in exchange of P250,000.
After collecting money from the unsuspecting victims, the suspect suddenly stopped communicating with them and was nowhere to be found, leaving the victims hopeless, penniless and their vehicles still in the impounding areas, Santos said.
Santos added that the suspect's victims sought the help of CIDG Batangas that made a coordination with the LTFRB Regional Office and found out that Franco is not an employee of the LTFRB.
Also the PNP Firearms Explosives Division revealed that the suspect was in possession of firearms with expired registration.