By Yas D. Ocampo
DAVAO CITY – The City Transportation and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) here recently arrested a man alleged to have been selling counterfeit public utility vehicle (PUV) identification cards.
Authorities identified the suspect as Virgilio “Boy” Libawan.
He was supposedly making fake PUV IDs, selling them for P200 to P300 apiece.
CTTMO Chief Dionisio Abude warned counterfeiters as with those who patronize them: “We will make sure you are going to be punished accordingly.”
Abude reminded drivers the IDs are not a right but a privilege.
“This is the means of living that we have chosen, therefore we should protect it so it would not be taken from us,” he said.
In order to acquire a PUV ID, a driver must undergo a seminar organized by the CTTMO. Afterwards, their details, including their name and license numbers will be encoded in the CTTMO system.
The PUV IDs have quick response (QR) code feature, which can be scanned through an application and reveal the driver’s identity, ID number and the date of issuance.