Group wants to demolish LTFRB-6 official, says driver
Duron
A driver of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-6 (LTFRB-6) has come out to defend Atty. Rommel Duron, chief of the LTFRB-6’s Technical and Evaluation Division, from allegations that the latter is mulcting money from applicants of taxi franchise.
Henry A. Mamon, in an affidavit, a copy of which was obtained by The News Today (TNT), claimed that a group of persons to include LTFRB-6 regional director Porfirio Clavel is trying to destroy Atty. Duron so he could be removed from LTFRB-6.
Mamon, who has been working as a casual driver at LTFRB-6 for almost ten years, in his affidavit said that on the evening of July 29, 2009 he was told by his colleague at LTFRB-6 that Clavel wanted him to show up at the garage of a taxi operator in Jaro district.
There, Mamon said, he, together with his wife, was met by persons identifying themselves as officials of the Association of Taxi Operators in Panay (Atop) who told him to execute an affidavit against Atty. Duron to pressure the latter into resigning.
Mamon said he was even made to choose between executing an affidavit against Atty. Duron or losing his job as Clavel will not renew his appointment.
However, the attempt for him to execute an affidavit did not prosper as he wanted to have an assurance from Clavel through a signed document. Since Clavel was not around and could not come to the meeting the plan was aborted, Mamon alleged.
To note, Atty. Duron is currently facing graft charges with the LTFRB central office filed by a certain Salvacion Sualog-Ruiz, an applicant for a taxi franchise.
Ruiz accused Atty. Duron of charging her P35,000 for a franchise to operate a taxi unit but the LTFRB’s official receipt only showed P810 as processing fee for her franchise application.
Ruiz, however, said that she actually paid only P33,000 as Duron gave her a P2,000 discount.
Ruiz in her complaint also implicated Bernie Bernabe, an employee of LTFRB-6, whom she alleged also has knowledge of the transaction.
Atty. Duron in earlier media interviews vehemently denied Ruiz’s allegations. He even challenged Ruiz to show evidence that he asked money from her other than what was the required fees.
It was learned that a team from the LTFRB central office headed by Atty. Manuel Mahipos of the legal department will arrive in Iloilo next week to conduct an investigation on the complaints against Duron and Bernabe.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the controversy stemmed from an earlier move of Atty. Duron to require taxi operators to use taxi meter issuing receipt, the implementation of which was later deferred by the LTFRB.
The source added, Ruiz and other complainants were just used to discredit Atty. Duron with approval from Clavel.
TNT yesterday tried to reach Clavel and officials from Atop for their reaction on Mamon’s allegations but to no avail.