MMDA clarifies all agency’s vehicles in deployment registered with LTO

The vehicles of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) that are being deployed are all registered with the Land Transportation Office, its spokesperson Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago said on Sunday.

Recently, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported that over 75% of the vehicles of the agency are not registered.

"Linawin lang ho namin. Lahat ng sasakyan ng MMDA na nakikita natin na dumadaan sa major thoroughfares, lahat po 'yan registered," Pialago said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Sunday.

Pialago made the clarification in response to criticism questioning the authority of MMDA to accost unregistered vehicles when their own vehicles are supposedly not registered.

She pointed out that the COA report was pertaining to the mix of assets of the MMDA including vehicles that are not in use.

The unregistered vehicles also include units for auction or already auctioned but were not yet crossed out in the records, as well as units scheduled for repair with pending delivery of needed parts, and units identified for disposal, she said.

In its annual audit, COA said 399 of MMDA’s vehicles were not registered in 2019 due to failure to comply with LTO inspection since most of these vehicles needed to undergo repair or rehabilitation.

In response, the MMDA said in a February letter to COA that the non-registration of these vehicles is due to:

• various vehicles not getting a passing mark in LTO Inspection due to defective signal light, plate light and brake light, failed smoke emission, faulty electrical wirings, unsightly body, corroded/unreadable chassis number, among others.
• the unavailability of plate numbers from previously purchased motorcycles/vehicles which is the basis of scheduling/monitoring the renewal of registration;
• lacking/incomplete documents required for the renewal of LTO registration and
• some end-users prioritizing the renewal of registration

—Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News