LTO processing 300,000 license plates for distribution

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) aims to distribute about 300,000 motor vehicle license plates in two weeks.

The license plates were impounded for 8 months at the Bureau of Customs because of the supplier's failure to pay P40-million import duties on time, GMA's Steve Dailisan reported for “24 Oras” on Tuesday.

“I'm looking at it within two weeks' time. Before 15 days, we'll start distributing in the different regions,” LTO chief Roberto Cabrera said.

Car dealers were tapped to distribute the said license plates.

“Sana i-release na nila yung mga plaka. Antagal na naming naghihintay, nakakaabala na talaga,” said motorist Arvin Mendizabel, who claimed paying for his license plate around August last year.

These 300,000 plates make up only 10 percent of the agency's three million backlog on license plate distribution.

In Metro Manila alone, the agency has still to distribute license plates for more than 110,000 new vehicles and 1.2 million replacement plates.

The release of vehicle plates to motorists hit a snag after the Commission on Audit (COA) issued in July 2015 a notice of disallowance on the P3.85 billion license plate supply contract, citing the failure of the contract to follow the provisions of Republic Act 9184  or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

Cabrera said that if COA decides to reverse its decision to issue a notice of disallowance, the LTO can start paying their supplier.  — Virgil Lopez, BAP, GMA News