DOJ launches anti-colorum special task force

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday announced that it has launched a special task force that will handle cases involving colorum vehicles.

According to Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, the anti-colorum prosecution task force will focus on case build-up and information dissemination campaigns.

“Meron po kaming special task force dito. Ang maganda po kasi sa special task force, nagkakaroon po ng mas malalim na kaalaman tungkol sa usapin na ito,” he said in a press briefing.

(We have a special task force. What is good is that there will be a deeper knowledge regarding this issue.)

“At ang isa po, mag ca-cascade po kami ng mga bagay na aming natutunan at ‘yung iba’t iba pong stratehiya para po mag case build up at para po lalo natin mausig ‘yung dapat usigin,” he added.

(And another thing, we will cascade the information and various strategies that we will learn for the case build up and so we can prosecute who we should prosecute.)

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Vigor Mendoza II said they are focused on organized crime syndicates who support or protect colorum operations.

He said they are also coordinating with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission for intelligence operations.

“The LTFRB with the LTO eh aayusin ho namin ‘yung complaint at mag sasampa ho kami dito sa task force ng formal complaint against these illegal operations,” he said.

(The LTFRB with the LTO, we will fix the complaint and we will file a formal complaint with the task force against these illegal operations.)

This was echoed by Deputy State Prosecutor Deana Perez, who underscored the importance of going after the masterminds.

“Hindi natin masusugpo ito kung individual drivers lang ang ating huhulihin. Kailangan we go for the head of the organized or the syndicate running these operations,” she said.

(We cannot eradicate this if we only go after individual drivers. We need to go for the head of the organized group or the syndicate running these operations.)

She said that members of law enforcement agencies who are conspiring with such individuals will be included. — BAP, GMA Integrated News