LTO: RFID fees collected from Aug. 2009-Jan. 2010 to be refunded starting Aug. 15, 2019

The fees collected by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) from motor vehicle owners for the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) project in 2009 will be refunded starting next week, the LTO announced.

In a public advisory issued August 7, LTO chief and Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said RFID fees collected from August 1, 2009 to January 15, 2010 shall be available for refund beginning August 15, 2019.

The refund is in compliance with the Supreme Court's decision, dated January 31, 2017, which nullified the deal signed by the then-Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), LTO, and Stradcom Corp. (Stradcom) on June 16, 2009. 

The high court also ordered a refund of the fees collected during the implementation of the RFID project prior to the issuance of a January 12, 2010 status quo ante order (SQAO) which restored the prevailing situation prior to the program's rollout.

The LTO chief has also signed Memorandum Circular No. 2019-2170, which provided the procedures in implementing the RFID fees refund.

The refund shall cover a total of 85,657 motor vehicle registrant payors. A masterlist of all payors shall be distributed to the corresponding LTO regional and district offices, and "shall be placed in a conspicuous place for the reference of the RFID fee claimants."

"The refund of the RFID fees shall be claimed at the LTO district office where it was collected," LTO said.

A claimant is entitled to a P350 refund, plus P9.00 interest earned at an average rate of 0.362% per annum.

"The RFID fee claimant shall duly accomplish the request refund form and attach one valid government issued ID (photocopy), in the case of natural persons, or an original and duly notarized Secretary's Certificate, in the case of a corporation or juridical person, for identification purposes," LTO said.

The claimant shall be required to duly sign an acknowledgment receipt of the refund. —Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News