A MAN who claimed to be a deputized agent of the Land Transportation Office has been exposed as an impostor after he attempted to talk his way out of a traffic violation in Cebu City, and then turned a camera on the enforcers who caught him.
The incident unfolded around 4:30 p.m. on March 20, 2026, along N. Bacalso Avenue, when personnel of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) flagged down a private vehicle for illegally entering the designated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane.
What should have been a routine apprehension quickly escalated. A passenger in the vehicle—wearing a GONZCAF Security ID sling—instructed the driver to ignore the enforcers’ order to present a valid driver’s license.
The man then declared himself a deputized LTO agent, asserted authority over the situation, and began taking photos of the traffic enforcers, reportedly threatening to report them to the LTO.
The bluff did not hold. Upon verification by Wendel Dinglasan, regional director of LTO 7, the individual was found to have no deputation, no authority, and no official standing with the agency.
Dinglasan is now evaluating possible criminal charges against the individual for impersonating an LTO deputized agent, in violation of existing laws.
The LTO reiterated its commitment to upholding the integrity of its deputation program and strongly warned the public against falsely representing themselves as authorized personnel. It said such actions will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.
Members of the public who encounter individuals falsely claiming LTO authority are urged to report them immediately to the nearest LTO office or law enforcement agency. (PR)