Court fines traffic aide P5,000 over P400 ‘fee’

Judge Jenelyn Forrosuelo of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities in Cebu City has convicted a traffic aide of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Cebu City who received P400 to release an errant driver’s license.

Forrosuelo, who presides over Branch 4, found Marilou Alferez guilty of violating Section 7 (d) of Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).

Alferez was also ordered to pay a fine of P5,000.

Alferez’s conviction came after she entered a guilty plea during the trial of her case last Feb. 20, 2018.

In February 2017, the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas sus- pended Alferez for three months without pay after she was found liable for simple dishonesty.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Virgil Ong before the Visayas anti-graft office, where he accused Alferez of dishonesty.

Alferez received P400 from a jeepney driver who had been apprehended for a traffic violation, and gave the driver back his license after that.

After being named in the complaint, Alferez failed to submit her counter-affidavit. In indicting Alferez, the ombudsman said that she “failed to exercise fairness and straightforwardness in her dealings.”

Section 7 (d) of the anti-graft law penalizes public officials and employees “who shall solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties.”