CEBU CITY -- The Land Transportation Office-Central Visayas (LTO-7) suspended the accreditation of a driving school in Danao City, northern Cebu for alleged fraudulent issuance of Theoretical Driving Certificates (TDC) certificates.
LTO-7 Regional Director Victor Emmanuel Caindec signed the suspension order of NC Tiger Driving School and one of its instructors.
“NC Tiger Driving School and one of its instructors, Luchen P. Tero, are hereby suspended for conducting two sessions per day of TDC instead of the one session per day as mandated under LTO MC-2021-2284 which states the Rules and Regulation on the Accreditation, Supervision, and Control of Driving Institutions, and the Standardization of Driver Education,” read the LTO-7 resolution suspending the driving school.
The resolution was issued based on the result of the investigation conducted by LTO 7 Regional Accreditation Committee (RAC) and approved by Caindec.
The LTO-7 received a complaint against the driving school in September 2022.
Caindec tasked the LTO 7 RAC and the legal division head, Atty. Vincent Francis Bien Santiago, to thoroughly investigate complaints made directly to the regional director via his social media account.
Some of the complaints accused some driving schools of failing to conduct the required eight-hour per day theoretical training for TDC certificates, which is a requirement for the issuance of a student permit.
The suspension order signed by Caindec was served last Jan. 6, 2023.
The order also meted the driving schools with a fine of P10,000 and a suspension of its accreditation for three months.
The instructor was fined P10,000 and his accreditation was suspended for six months.
Based on the investigation, NC Tiger Driving School conducted morning and afternoon sessions for 40 students per session of TDC applicants.
During the ocular visit of LTO-7 personnel, it was found out that the driving school’s two classrooms can only accommodate a minimum of 27 and 24 students per instructor, per session a day – a violation of the classroom requirement stated under section 10-B of LTO MC-2021-2284.
Under the said circular driving schools can only "conduct the minimum 15-hour TDC in three (3) days, one session per day."
Caindec then directed LTO 7's RAC, Operations Division, and Legal to conduct region-wide audits and expand its investigation on reports of rampant ‘no-test, same-day certification issuance’ schemes by accredited driving schools.
The order also covers capacity and compliance audits of accredited medical clinics and accredited dealers across Central Visayas.
Caindec stated that the move to ensure proper compliance by accredited entities is in line with the thrust of the Department of Transportation for improved governance under the leadership of Secretary Jaime Bautista and with direction and guidance from LTO Assistant Secretary Jose Arturo Tugade.