Car owners urged to verify license plates with LTO

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. speaks during a joint press conference with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on the arrest of three suspects for allegedly stealing license plates from the LTO Plate Making Plant on Friday, January 26, 2024. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. on Friday advised vehicle owners to verify the legitimacy of their license plates with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

His recommendation came after the LTO, DILG-Special Project Group and Quezon City Police District’s Kamuning Station arrested three LTO employees for allegedly stealing license plates from the LTO Plate Making Plant.

In a press conference, Abalos warned car owners who may have obtained their vehicle license plates illegally that what they are using right now may be unregistered.

READ: 3 LTO employees nabbed over car license plate theft

“Sa lahat ng nanood ngayon, check-in ninyo na agad sa LTO [kung legitimate ang license plates],” he said.

(To everyone watching now, immediately check your license plates with LTO to know if they are legitimate.)

“‘Yung mga nakuha nila, walang laman ‘yan, hindi nakarehistro ‘yan, ‘yung QR code niyan, walang laman ‘yan,” he added.

(The ones they got, it’s empty, not registered, that QR code, it’s empty.)

According to LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II, an LTO employee wrote a complaint to the office of the Internal Security Operations Division of the Philippine National Police about the alleged crime.

On Thursday, the three LTO employees were arrested after the duty security guard at the license plate manufacturing site reportedly saw them stealing five license plates.

Footage from the facility’s closed-circuit television also caught one of the suspects allegedly putting the license plates inside the top-box of his motorcycle.

Authorities were further investigating the reason behind the theft of license plates from the plant.