THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) has issued show cause orders (SCOs) against the driver and registered owner of a sports car, as well as its LTO-accredited importer, after irregularities were found in the vehicle's registration.
In a statement on Friday, LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao said the respondents were expected to appear before the Intelligence and Investigation Division (IID) of the LTO Central Office on Sept. 8 to submit their sworn statements and supporting documents.
The driver and owner must explain the allegations related to “Imitation and False Interpretation,” as well as why the driver's license should not be revoked for being an “Improper Person to Operate a Motor Vehicle.”
The importer, meanwhile, must explain why it should not be held liable under Memorandum Circular AVT 2014-023, particularly on the allegation of “Commission of Fraud and Misinterpretation in the Filing of Application and its Operations,” including “Stocks and Sales Reporting.”
As a precautionary measure, the driver has been ordered to surrender his license to the IID and will face a 90-day preventive suspension pending the investigation.
The LTO also ordered the surrender of the sports car for verification and investigation.
"Simple lang ang paninindigan natin: dapat tama ang dokumento, tama ang rehistro, at tama ang proseso (Our position is simple — documents must be correct, registration must be correct, and the process must be correct)," Lacanilao said.
He also reminded motorists to be discerning about the vehicles they buy and warned dealers against deceiving the public.
"Sa mga motorista, maging mapanuri sa mga sasakyang binibili natin. Sa mga dealer naman, huwag nating lokohin ang ating mga kababayan. Kung may mali, itama natin at huwag tayong makilahok sa anumang uri ng panloloko (To motorists, be discerning about the vehicles we buy. To dealers, do not deceive our countrymen. If something is wrong, let us correct it and not participate in any kind of fraud)," he said.
He said the LTO would continue to intensify monitoring, validation, and enforcement of motor vehicle registration irregularities to promote a more orderly, transparent, and accountable system.
The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activity or irregularity to the LTO for appropriate action and investigation.
