Release plates on time or face closure, LTO warns car dealers

Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II on Tuesday, May 14, warned motor vehicle dealers that they could face closure if they fail to release license plates of vehicles purchased from them within 11 days.

Mendoza issued the warning amid complaints of delay in the release of not only motor vehicle plates but also the Official Receipt/certificate of Registration (OR/CR) of newly purchased vehicles.

“Opo, puwede ho natin pasarado iyong dealer na iyon (Yes, we can have that dealer closed), regardless of who that dealer is,” he said when asked about the penalty that dealers face if they fail to release the license plates on time.

“Kung talagang ayaw niyang sumunod at patuloy ang violation on the timeline sa pag-deliver ng plates ay papasarado na po natin iyan (If they don’t want to follow and they continue to have violation on the timeline of delivering the plates, we will have them close down),” he added.

Mendoza stressed that the same rule will be applied on LTO employees who fail to release license plates within five days from the time that the papers are filed at the LTO for registration.

“Doon sa mga tao naman sa LTO the same thing, ite-terminate ho natin iyan. That’s why sa meeting namin ng mga regional directors kahapon ay talagang ipinagdiin ho natin iyong timeline ‘no (Regarding our people in the LTO, it’s the same thing, we will terminate them. That’s why in the meeting with the regional directors yesterday, we emphasized the timeline),” he explained.

Mendoza issued the warning after holding a sectoral meeting with President Marcos, Department of Transportation (DOTR) Secretary Bautista, and DOTR Undersecretary Andy Ortega on the status of driver’s license cards and motor vehicles license plates.