The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has begun imposing sanctions on accredited motorcycle and car dealers found to have violated regulations on the initial registration of newly purchased vehicles, as part of its intensified campaign to ensure timely processing of registration documents.
During the "Kwentuhan with the LTO Chief" briefing, LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus V. Lacanilao announced that penalties were imposed following the resolution of Show Cause Orders (SCOs) issued against dealers accused of failing to process and release vehicle registration documents—including the Official Receipt (OR), Certificate of Registration (CR), and license plates—within the prescribed period.
Based on the agency's resolutions, 37 accredited dealers were fined, 39 dealers were fined ₱500,000 and suspended from accreditation for six months, while 12 dealers had their accreditation revoked and were placed under a one-year blacklist for violations of existing LTO laws and regulations.
Among those fined were several branches of Premiumbikes, Wheeltek, Toyota Cubao, Shaw Automotive, Guanzon Merchandising, Exponent Konka, and other dealerships across Metro Manila and various provinces.
Dealers slapped with the stiffer penalty of a ₱500,000 fine and six-month suspension included branches of Wheeltek, Motoxpress, Rizal Autozone, Gateway Motors Cebu, Mazda Sta. Rosa, Yamaha 3S, Motortrade, Freiburg Auto, Global Star Motors, and others.
Meanwhile, the dealerships whose accreditation was canceled and were placed under a one-year blacklist included branches of Wheeltek, Maverick, Motoxpress, Power Racer, Rizal Autozone, and Honda Motor Sports.
Lacanilao stressed that the agency's enforcement efforts do not end with the issuance of Show Cause Orders, warning that dealers who continue to disregard LTO regulations will face harsher consequences.
"The LTO's action against accredited dealers who fail to fulfill their obligations does not end with the issuance of Show Cause Orders. We will not allow their negligence to continue causing inconvenience and hardship to motorists. Dealers who persist in violating LTO rules will face heavier penalties, including the suspension of their operations," Lacanilao said.
The LTO reiterated its commitment to strictly enforcing existing regulations to ensure the prompt processing of initial registrations for newly acquired vehicles and to hold accredited dealers accountable for non-compliance.
The agency also encouraged the public to report erring accredited dealers through its official "Ireport mo kay LTO Chief" Facebook page or via its online complaint portal to enable immediate action and help ensure faster, more efficient, and transparent public service.
