The Land Transportation Office (LTO) summoned the owner of a Honda Click motorcycle on Tuesday after the vehicle went viral for having an obscured license plate.
LTO Executive Director Greg Pua Jr. announced that a show-cause order has been issued to the registered owner, and the motorcycle has been placed on alarm to prevent any transactions with the LTO involving the vehicle.
The motorcycle’s image, which showed its license plate deliberately altered, circulated online, presumably to evade detection by traffic enforcement systems, including the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP).
“Ang mga ganitong gawain ay malinaw na paglabag sa ating batas. Hindi natin hahayaang makalusot ang mga driver na sadyang nagtatago ng kanilang pagkakakilanlan sa kalsada (This is a clear violation of the law. We won’t let this driver get away for trying to hide from detection),” Pua stated.
He emphasized that obscuring a license plate violates Section 18, Paragraph 2 of the Land Transportation and Traffic Code (Use of Number Plates).
As part of the investigation, the LTO has ordered both the registered owner and the designated driver at the time of the incident to appear before the Intelligence and Investigation Division of the LTO Central Office. They are also required to submit a written comment or explanation regarding their potential administrative liability.
Pending the case’s resolution, the LTO has issued a 90-day preventive suspension of the designated driver’s license.
“Failure of the parties concerned to comply with the order to appear and explain will be interpreted as a waiver of their right to be heard, and the case will be resolved based on available evidence,” Pua warned, noting that harsher penalties may be imposed without a proper explanation.
He urged the public to continue reporting similar incidents and to provide evidence, such as photos or videos, to assist the LTO in its crackdown on unregistered vehicles and rogue motorists.