Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) chief Raquel Arce announced plans to file criminal charges against former enforcer Jover Te Lofrance, who was caught on video allegedly extorting money from a motorist, even after he had been dismissed from service.
Background of the case
According to Arce, Te Lofrance was a job-order employee who started working in March 2026. He was terminated effective July 1, 2026, and will not be rehired. The former enforcer was previously implicated in an extortion incident involving P100 from a motorist in Pahina San Nicolas. Arce obtained a clearer copy of the video after the victim himself submitted it on June 30, 2026.
Details of the extortion incident
The video shows Te Lofrance stopping a motorcycle driver with a female passenger under the pretext of a traffic violation. However, Arce noted that the enforcer never issued a citation ticket nor clarified the alleged violation. Instead, Te Lofrance was heard telling the motorist that if issued a citation, he would have to pay P1,000 within three days. He warned that failure to pay would result in a case and a fine of P3,000.
After this, Te Lofrance allegedly offered not to issue a ticket if the motorist gave him money. The video recorded him mentioning amounts from P100 to P500 in exchange for allowing the motorist to leave without confiscating his driver’s license. To end the encounter, the female passenger handed over P100 to Te Lofrance, saying they were in a hurry.
Impact on CCTO
Arce stated that the incident brought shame to the entire CCTO and was the reason for Te Lofrance’s dismissal. Despite Arce’s public announcement on Facebook that Te Lofrance no longer has authority to apprehend motorists, another video surfaced showing him stopping motorists along Sanciangko Street on July 1, the very day his termination took effect.
Surrender and admission
On Thursday, Te Lofrance went to the CCTO office to surrender his identification card (ID) and unused citation tickets. During his conversation with Arce, he allegedly admitted that he was tempted to ask for money from motorists and apologized for violating traffic regulations.
