Tolentino asks LTO to stop order vs improvised plates amid production backlog

Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino

MANILA, Philippines –  “Give motorcycle riders and motorists a break! Do not penalize them for using non-compliant temporary and improvised license plates. It’s not their fault if the government cannot produce enough official plates – which is the responsibility of the LTO itself.”

Thus emphasized Senate Majority Leader Francis ‘Tol’ Tolentino, in objecting a directive of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) restricting the use of temporary and improvised license plates for motorcycles and motor vehicles, which will take effect on Sunday, September 1, 2024.

“I do not see the sense in apprehending and fining riders and motorists for using temporary plates that do not comply with the LTO’s directive. The LTO must first resolve its own backlog in issuing official license plates,” the senator explained.

According to Tolentino, the LTO reported to the Senate that its backlog in issuing official license plates amounted to 12,548,909 as of February this year.

Meanwhile, when the senator interviewed  1-Rider Party-List Representative Bonifacio Bosita on his radio program, ‘Usapang Tol’ on Thursday (August 29), the latter said that the license plates backlog currently stood at 9 million, citing an LTO source.

Under the LTO’s VDM-2024-2721, “all motor vehicles and motorcycles using non-LTO issued plate number, except as authorized and specified by this Memorandum, shall be apprehended and the appropriate legal actions and penalties in accordance with existing laws and regulations shall be imposed.”

Finally, Tolentino appealed to the LTO to “give motorcycle riders a breather,” and to just wait for the President’s signing of the measure he sponsored, Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2555.

The bill seeks to amend the controversial provisions of Republic Act (RA) 11235, or the Doble Plaka Law, which discriminates against motorcycle riders and owners.

Voting 22-0, the Senate unanimously approved SBN 2555 on third and final reading last July 29.

Its counterpart in the House of Representatives, according to Bosita, has hurdled the committee level and will soon be calendared in plenary for second and third reading.