THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is filing multiple charges against a relative of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. who explicitly used his name in a bid to get away with operating a “colorum” or illegal public transport vehicle.
MMDA Assistant General Manager for Operations David Angelo R. Vargas said charges of falsification of public documents with conspiracy, estafa, resistance and disobedience, and light threat will be filed against the woman and the driver of her van which was caught conveying passengers from Laguna to Cubao, Quezon City for a fare of P200 each.
Despite the van having expired registration papers and its driver yielding a fake driver’s license, the woman went to the MMDA head office, name-dropping Mr. Abalos and insisting she be freed from liability.
“Upon verification, it turned out that the woman is a relative of the DILG chief,” Mr. Vargas said in a statement, adding that he immediately informed Mr. Abalos about the matter.
MMDA Acting Chairman Romando S. Artes said their agency is ramping up efforts to catch unregistered vehicles. “The agency will not stop its operations against colorum vehicles plying the major thoroughfares of Metro Manila,” he said. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana