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Are they putting the blame on car dealers and new car owners?
“Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Aljun Tan on Monday, April 6, defended anew the agency’s ‘no-registration, no-travel’ policy, maintaining that his office has never been remiss in issuing the plates of newly registered vehicles.” reports Elizabeth Marcelo on GMA News Online.
Tan asserted, “Para sa amin, lahat po ng nagrerehistro ngayon ay nabibigyan po ng plaka. I think, kahit kausapin ninyo ang mga [car] dealer, aminado na sila na kapag pinasok ang dokumento sa LTO, within seven days ay makukuha niyo na po ang OR (official receipt) ninyo, ang CR (certificate of registration) ninyo at yung plaka ninyo.”
The report noted: “Tan, who is also an undersecretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications, was reacting to criticisms against the new LTO policy, which the agency started implementing on April 1. The new policy penalizes the owner and driver of an unregistered, plate-less vehicle.”
In fact, even the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has slammed the new policy because it is “unfair to car owners, who get penalized for the alleged inefficiency of the LTO and car dealers in issuing the plates.”
MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino described the policy as “unconstitutional” and “un-Christian.” Tolentino had said that “the MMDA personnel will not be joining the LTO in implementing the policy.”
Tan, however, insisted, “Available po ang mga plaka at mabilis po ang proseso namin.”
Tan likewise added that “it is the buyer’s responsibility to make sure that the car he bought from a dealer is duly registered or in the process of being registered.”
He said, “At that point in time na bumili kayo sa sasakyan, ang dapat ninyong itanong sa dealer niyo ay, ‘Ready na ba iparehistro ang sasakyan na ito?'”
Tan explained that “car dealers cannot use as an excuse the lack of Certificate of Stock Report (CSR) from the car importers and manufacturers.” He stated that “it is the responsibility of the dealers to demand the CSR from the car manufacturers or importers.”