Charges filed vs ‘franchise fixer’
For allegedly pretending that he had connection with the regional director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-7 and that he could facilitate and process the issuance of a franchise, a 57-year-old man is now facing charges before the court.
Prosecutor III Rhodna Bacatan held for trial a certain Jessie Tabanao, a resident of Barangay Bangbang, Cordova. This after Tabanao chose not to answer the allegations filed against him before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office.
The prosecutor recommended P60,000 for Tabanao's temporary liberty.
The National Bureau of Investigation-7 lodged the complaint against Tabanao following his arrest through entrapment operation last April 24.
Luz Rosell, a resident of Poblacion, Daanbantayan, alleged that she was one of the victims of Tabanao.
She said Tabanao allegedly presented himself as having connection with LTFRB-7 Director Ahmed Cuizon and could facilitate and process a Certificate of Public Conveyance or a franchise in exchange for a fee.
For P270,000, the parties allegedly agreed that a franchise be issued in favor of Rosell. She was seeking franchise for her Toyota White Van 2016 model with plate no. AEC 7053 plying the Daanbantayan-Cebu City route.
Rosell paid P150,000 as initial payment to Tabanao.
Rosell said after her van was apprehended in Liloan for a traffic violation last week, she learned that Tabanao was not authorized to transact franchise application.
Cuizon said no franchise applications have been accepted since 2003 when a moratorium took effect.
Rosell confronted Tabanao after learning about the moratorium, and the latter promised to return the P150,000 on April 24.
NBI agents then arrested Tabanao after he handed the amount to Rosell.