GRAFT complaints have been filed against Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 Director Glen Galario for allegedly demanding weekly grease money from his subordinates and receiving payola from colorum operators in Bohol.
In the first complaint received by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas on Aug. 18, 2025, Rosario Paras accused Galario of requiring chiefs of offices to collect weekly “SOP” (standard operating procedure) or grease money from liaisons to ensure smooth transactions at LTO 7.
The complaints were filed for violating Section 3 of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Galario, for his part, did not address the complaints, saying he has yet to receive a copy.
“Once we do, I will review it with my legal counsel and prepare our response,” he said.
According to Paras’ complaint, liaisons who testified against Galario said a staff member, Lara Signar, ordered them to provide her with SOP money to meet a weekly quota of P150,000 for Galario.
Paras urged the Ombudsman to conduct a lifestyle check on Galario, who is reportedly connected to numerous government offices and is on their payroll. She also requested that the Ombudsman provide protection for the liaisons and chiefs of offices to prevent influence from Galario during
the investigation.
Payola
In a separate complaint, Pablo Dignos alleged that Galario was also collecting payola from colorum operators in Bohol in exchange for protection and free passage.
He said operators were not apprehended despite operating without permits from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Instead, they were issued only minor traffic violations.
“This is one of the contributory reasons that in Bohol, there are numerous travel and tours companies that own fleets of 20 cars, but only one or two of these are registered with the LTFRB. In their mind, they do not need to register their vehicles or secure the necessary permit so long as they have the sticker given by their protectors,” part of Dignos’ letter read.
He added that the scheme is a syndicate operation that takes advantage of small vehicle owners trying to provide for their families.
“We believe that colorum operation in Region 7 is being operated by a syndicate which operates with impunity due to their collusion inside government agencies concerned,” Dignos said, adding that he hopes the Ombudsman will act swiftly on his complaint. / AYB