AUTHORITIES in Davao apprehended four individuals in an anti-fixer operation on Monday, April 20, 2026 outside the Land Transportation Office-Davao Region (LTO-Davao) in Quimpo Boulevard, Davao City, as investigators aim for a broader probe that could reach personnel inside the agency.
The National Bureau of Investigation-Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-Semro) said the suspects who are composed of two men and two women were arrested following an entrapment operation launched upon the request of LTO-Davao Regional Director lawyer Raphael Robillo, who sought assistance in eliminating illegal intermediaries or “fixers” operating around the office.
The suspects will be charged for alleged violation of Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, which amended the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.
During a special press briefing, NBI-Semro Assistant Regional Director Gerald Intes said authorities targeted areas surrounding two establishments — EZ Auto Driving Academy and Blessed Pedro Calungsod Medical Laboratory — where the suspects were believed to be coordinating their activities, with the operation carried out simultaneously in those locations.
Intes added the suspects were targeting clients near the LTO entrance, offering faster processing of vehicle registration and driver’s licensing in exchange for additional fees.
“The transaction begins at the gate,” Intes said, noting that clients were then directed to affiliated establishments for required medical and insurance services before the process continued inside the LTO.
Intes emphasized that the operation suggested coordination beyond those apprehended.
“You cannot complete these registrations without someone working on the inside,” he said.
Investigators added that the payments collected were allegedly divided among the fixers, partner service providers, and alleged contacts within the LTO, enabling transactions to be completed more quickly than regular procedures.
NBI agents used marked money during the entrapment operation. Once the pre-arranged signal was given, operatives moved in and arrested the suspects. They were later brought to a secure facility for questioning and were presented to Robillo.
However, officials emphasized that the arrests are only the beginning of a wider investigation.
Intes issued a warning to LTO personnel, saying authorities have already begun building cases against those who may be involved. He noted that the NBI has been granted full authority to investigate any possible internal links to the scheme, emphasizing that the probe will cover all levels of the organization.
The full identities of the suspects have not been disclosed pending the formal filing of charges. One of the arrested individuals, a female encoder linked to a medical laboratory, denied wrongdoing, saying she had no involvement in any illegal transactions.
Meanwhile, the NBI crime laboratory is processing the suspects for traces of fluorescent powder from the marked money, which may serve as evidence in court.
As of press time, LTO-Davao has yet to release an official statement on the internal measures being taken following the arrests, but authorities maintained that efforts to dismantle fixer networks and ensure transparent public service delivery are ongoing. DEF
