Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) enforcers accosted Wednesday morning a colorum van driven by a policeman.
Milbert Cartagena, an inspector of the LTFRB, reported to police that they spotted a Nissan Urvan NV350 (OV-4445) full of passengers at the corner of the NAIA Road and Tambo service road in Parañaque City around 7 a.m. Wednesday.
When confronted by LTFRB enforcers, the driver of the van who introduced himself as one Police Officer 3 Jun Ancheta.
He also carried a gun, Cartegena said.
Cartagena recalled flagging down Ancheta’s van when he saw it some 10 meters away from their post.
When he thought the van was slowing down, Cartagena said Ancheta suddenly turned his wheel towards Tambo service road, prompting a chase that was captured by a closed-circuit television camera.
“I did not hesitate to run after him because I knew the road was narrow and he would meet other vehicles along the way,” Cartagena said in an interview.
He said the van was cornered after an approaching vehicle blocked its way, but Ancheta still refused to stop.
“I had to fold his side mirrors so he would stop. He refused to open his window at first,” he said.
Cartagena said Ancheta introduced himself as a policeman as he alighted from the vehicle. He said the driver wore a white shirt and type B police pants with a gun tucked in his waist.
The LTFRB enforcers confiscated his driver’s license and his vehicles certificate of registration.
Cartagena said Ancheta’s 18-seater van plies the Muntinlupa to Pasay City route and charges his passengers a P45 fixed fare. He said Ancheta admitted he was just about to go to work.
When they told him to go with them at the LTFRB office in Quezon City, the policeman insisted to just leave the van at a nearby covered court instead of impounding it.
“Pulis ako. Sasama ako sa inyo pero iiwan natin ang sasakyan ko,” Cartagena quoted Ancheta as saying.
To avoid further commotion, he let Ancheta go and instead reported the incident to authorities.
LTFRB board member and spokesperson Aileen Lizada said they learned that Ancheta was assigned to the National Capital Region Police Office’s Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit and was one of the hundreds of cops relieved for various charges.
Cartagenas added that he was also among the cops “who were instructed by the President to clean the Pasig River in Malacañang,” citing a policeman he talked to at the police station.
Lizada said she is alarmed that policemen are being involved in colorum operations, saying that the agency had earlier apprehended a colorum vehicle owned by a police major. (Vanne Elaine P. Terrazola)