In a swift response to an incident in Panglao, Bohol, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday announced the dismissal of five Land Transportation Office (LTO) personnel involved in manhandling a rider on Friday. The incident, which left a 57-year-old farmer hospitalized, prompted Dizon to act quickly, emphasizing that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will not tolerate abuse of authority.
“We are, effective today, dismissing the law enforcers involved in the incident,” Dizon said, emphasizing that abusive behavior is not tolerated. He also echoed the admonition of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., asserting that government personnel must act as servants of the people, not their masters.
Dizon has tasked Transport assistant secretary for road transport, retired Col. Jojo Reyes, with personally investigating the incident. Acknowledging the need for deeper reforms, Dizon also ordered the formation of a task force led by Reyes to conduct a comprehensive review of LTO and Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) policies.
The task force aims to assess whether current regulations inadvertently encourage abusive behavior among enforcers, with Dizon stressing the reassessment is essential in addressing potential sources of abuse and ensure proper enforcement practices moving forward.
