Man nabbed for illegal highway deal

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Police here arrested a personnel of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) after a traffic violator accused him of exacting a fine without issuing an official receipt (OR) on Friday.

City police director Renante Cabico identified the suspect as Henry Lauban, 27, personnel of the LTO in Southwest Mindanao (Region 12).

Cabico used as basis for Lauban's arrest the complaint filed by a certain Marlyn Lison of Tulunan, North Cotabato.

Lison, according to Cabico, was nabbed by Lauban and his team for not wearing crash helmet during a traffic inspection along the national highway around 9 a.m. Friday.

Her violation, based on the temporary operators' permit (TOP) that Lauban issued, was the non-wearing of helmet, which amounted to P1,500 plus a miscellaneous fee of P277.63 or a total of P1,777.63.

But Lauban, according to Cabico, was asking from Lison some P2,500 cash as payment.

"Such act is illegal. Lauban, based on the complaint filed here, violated Article 213 of the Revised Penal Code or the illegal exaction and transaction, which is a criminal act," Cabico said.

The LTO district officer here vehemently denied such allegation. Naga Mimbala, senior traffic regulatory officer (STRO) here, said there was no truth to Lison's accusation that his office failed to issue an OR.

"The person who was in charge of the issuance of the OR was still conducting a traffic seminar at that time Ms. Lison asked for it," Mimbala said.

The complainant, however, went straight to the office of Cotabato Governor Lala Mendoza instead of seeking help from Mimbala.

Upon receiving such complaint, the governor allegedly called up Cabico and ordered that Lauban be taken into police custody.

"I am the one who's in charge of the office. Ms. Lison, however, sought help from the governor," Mimbala said.

Cabico and his men arrived at the LTO and immediately chained Lauban and brought him to the station.