By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Land Transportation Office (LTO) Executive Director Atty. Greg Pua clarified that the protocol plate number 7 seen on a white Escalade driving on the EDSA busway is fake, noting that the agency did not issue such a plate for any SUV.

“‘Yung plaka pong nakita po natin doon po sa video, wala po siya nung mga features at design ng protocol plate number 7 na ini-issue po natin,” Pua said in a radio interview on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

“Hindi po ‘yan in-issue ng LTO. Hindi rin po tayo nag-issue ng protocol plate 7 sa isang white Escalade,” he added.

Plate number 7 is designated for senators.

Pua further confirmed that no current senator owns a white Cadillac Escalade.

The LTO is coordinating with other agencies to trace the owner of the SUV, as the driver is not under their custody, Pua said.

Meanwhile, Pua confirmed that only 24 individuals own such an SUV model in the country.

On Monday, Senate President Chiz Escudero stated that the owner of the vehicle will face consequences.

“Hindi dapat magtapos dito ang isyu na ito. Kailangan matukoy ng LTO kung sino ang may-ari ng sasakyan at siguraduhin na mananagot ito sa paglabag ng batas,” Escudero said.

ia/mnm

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — In line with the President’s envisioned progressive, democratic, and just society under the Bagong Pilipinas, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has launched an “Aksyon on the Spot” hotline that will address complaints, including phishing scams preying on victims with fake traffic violations.

“Kaya mula sa mga simpleng mga paglabag sa batas trapiko hanggang sa road rage at maging ang paggamit ng wang-wang na mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ngayon ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. under the Bagong Pilipinas, makakaasa ang ating mga kababayan ng mabilis na tugon mula sa inyong LTO, mula sa inyong pamahalaan,” LTO chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II said.

Dubbed as “Aksyon on the Spot”, the LTO official urged road users to send SMS or text messages to the telephone number (0929) 2920865 if they encounter abusive motorists on the road.

Mendoza added the LTO will distribute “Aksyon on the Spot” stickers to motorists, especially those renewing their vehicle licenses.

He advised the public to take advantage of the hotline’s QR code, which makes it easier and faster to file formal complaints.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has initiated the ‘Aksyon on the Spot’ hotline that will receive complaints regarding phishing scams.

LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor Mendoza II emphasized that the hotline will address not only phishing scams but also instances of abusive behavior by motorists on the roads.

Mendoza further explained that the hotline’s purpose is to ensure swift government response to erring motorists.

This initiative aligns with the directive of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista to prioritize the safety of all road users.

“Through our hotline, the LTO will promptly address complaints from our fellow citizens regarding online scammers and unruly motorists,” Mendoza stated.

“From minor traffic violations to road rage, including the use of sirens, which is strictly prohibited under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., under the Bagong Pilipinas, our citizens can expect a rapid response from your LTO, from your government,” he added.

Mendoza also urged the public to report any instances of abusive behavior on the road for appropriate action.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Over two million plastic cards for driver’s licenses will be delivered to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in May 2024.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista made this statement during an inspection of the one million plastic cards delivered to the LTO on Monday.

Bautista expressed confidence that this delivery would help alleviate the backlog of plastic-printed driver’s licenses.

The DOTr chief noted that the delivery of these plastic cards followed the lifting of the injunction order on the delivery of the remaining 3.2 million cards by the Court of Appeals (CA).

Before distribution, the delivered plastic cards will undergo scrutiny by the Department of Science and Technology to ensure compliance with the contract’s terms, particularly regarding security features.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has on Monday (27 Nov 2023) disclosed that over 60 percent of the total number of vehicles — amounting to 14 million — are currently unregistered.

Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza of LTO emphasized that out of the 38 million vehicles, 14 million are yet to be registered.

Mendoza cited factors such as the ongoing pandemic and the prolonged non-use of some vehicles.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them have been scrapped, especially motorcycles that may no longer be operational due to the passage of time. We will be excluding those from our numbers and ensuring data accuracy. Currently, these are the ones we are pursuing,” stated Mendoza.

The government is estimated to be losing between P37 billion to P38 billion this year due to the large number of unregistered vehicles, as mentioned by Mendoza.

“LTO’s target for this year is P31 billion. If we succeed, and considering the tight timeline at the end of the year, theoretically, it could mean an additional P37 billion,” added the official.

To address the issue of unregistered vehicles, LTO plans to implement stricter checkpoints as part of its proactive measures.

(ai/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

DOWN TO its last one (1) million plastic cards for driver’s licenses.

This occurred at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) after a local court issued a preliminary injunction to the government’s procurement of plastic cards.

“We are down to 1 million cards…This is on a first-come, first-served basis,” LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza revealed in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

However, he added that the remaining plastic cards are sufficient for the April, May, and June backlogs plus cards for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking to renew their driver’s licenses.

Mendoza said the OFWs who want to renew their licenses before leaving will need to present their ticket before the LTO.

He further said the LTO is eyeing workarounds such as tapping the National Printing Office in a government-to-government deal to provide plastic licenses.

“We are talking to them right now, same quality and hopefully the same price,” Mendoza said.

It was gathered that the LTO will ask the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to accelerate the bidding of the driver’s supply license cards for next year.

(ai/mnm)