The Land Transportation Office said Friday motor vehicle license plate confiscation during apprehensions by law enforcers and deputized agents is prohibited.
LTO chief Jay Art Tugade issued a memorandum order to underscore the provisions under Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01. The order stipulates that a driver’s license, student permit or motor vehicle can only be flagged if the apprehending law enforcer cannot immediately administer the relevant penalty to the vehicle or driver.
“In all instances where the penalty includes the confiscation, suspension or revocation of a driver’s license or student permit, as well as the suspension or revocation of the registration of a motor vehicle or impounding the motor vehicle, and the same cannot be immediately implemented, the driver’s license, the student permit, or motor vehicle, as the case may be, shall be placed on alarm until the proper penalty may be implemented,” Tugade said, citing the JAO.
Tugade issued a clarifying memorandum after the numerous complaints raised by the public concerning license plate confiscation by LTO law enforcers and deputized agents. Tugade said in his memo that all LTO law enforcers and authorized agents are forbidden from confiscating license plates if they cannot impound the apprehended motor vehicles.