Manila: The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has formally requested the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe allegations of a ‘systematic pattern of corruption’ involving the chief of its Regional Office in Soccsksargen, Region 12. The LTO Central Office has implicated Regional Director Meharrieh Tomawis in numerous reports of corruption and other legal violations.

According to Philippines News Agency, the LTO addressed a letter to NBI officer-in-charge Angelito DLP Magno, urging an immediate and comprehensive investigation into Director Tomawis’s alleged misconduct. The complaints against Tomawis include accusations of selling positions, accepting bribes, and practicing nepotism. Additionally, district chiefs under Tomawis have accused him of imposing monthly financial quotas ranging from PHP200,000 to PHP300,000 to avoid transfer or removal.

Furthermore, reports have surfaced regarding an unexplained increase in Tomawis’s wealth and a lavish lifestyle, prompting calls for further investigation. In response to these allegations, HPG Spokesperson Lt. Nadame Malang stated that the LTO Central Office has already discovered illegal luxury car registrations linked to Tomawis, which are currently under validation.

Lt. Malang, addressing a press briefing at Camp Crame, remarked, “The matter has been reported to our director regarding the alleged illegal registration of luxury vehicles in Region 12. The PNP-HPG anticipated this matter, and we are conducting verification and validation that the majority of the HPG clearance documents [of the registered vehicles] were fake.”