LINGAYEN – Two employees of the Land Transportation Office LTO based here are in hot water after they were caught receiving marked money from employees of two drug testing centers.

  P/Supt. Harris Fama, spokesman of the Police Provincial Office, identified the suspects as one Felix Salazar, an LTO Licensing Officer, and one Maggie Cabangcal, a security guard assigned with the LTO.

The two fell during an entrapment operation conducted by the PNP Special Operations Group led by Supt. Noli Taliño inside their office.

They were reportedly video taped when they received the amount of P900 from an employee of the Czar Drug Testing Center and the manager of Rojhed Drug Testing Center based here.

The two drug testing centers were among those accredited by the LTO to undertake drug testing on applicants applying and or renewing their drivers’ licenses and all others who have transactions with the LTO.

Fama said that a case for violation of Republic Act No 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, is now being prepared against the suspects, including other LTO personnel who might also be involved in the illegal transaction.

It was learned that the two arrested suspects shared their weekly take from the drug centers with 10 other employees of the LTO in Lingayen.

The drug testing centers went to the police after the suspects allegedly demanded an increase in their weekly “allowances” which they could no longer afford.

 LTO Chief Jovita Dion denied having any knowledge of the illegal activities involving her staff and helped the police set up the entrapment. – A.P.E.  

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