SENATOR Richard Gordon directed Land Transportation Office (LTO) Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante, LTO 7 Director Victor Emmanuel Caindec, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to “go after the motorcycle dealers who have been charging undue interest rates to motorcycle owners and yet they have not filed proper taxes.”
He said that this is to bring justice to the thousands of motorcycle owners who have been deprived of their proper rights of ownership.
“Fiat justitia ruat caelum," Gordon said after he officially suspended the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalies in the LTO Tuesday, April 20, 2021. The statement means "Let justice be done though the heavens fall."
Gordon is set to write the decision on the facts gathered during the four hearings conducted this year.
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LTO fines 3 Cebu DES branches P100,000 each
LTO recently fined three Cebu branches of motorcycle dealer Des Strong Motors Inc. P100,000 each for violating Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
Caindec told Gordon that LTO 7 has submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation 7 and BIR complaints of motorcycle owners, documentary evidence, reports, and 18 show cause orders.
Regulatory capture
Gordon warned the public officials on the "regulatory capture" wherein the "bodies regulating industries become sympathetic to the businesses they are supposed to be regulating."
"Regulatory capture can mean monopolies can continue to charge high prices to the detriment and great disadvantage to the people," he said.
Caindec has been running after the motorcycle dealers owned by the Du Family after he discovered issues of allegations on delayed registration and non-release of Certificate of Registration of motorcycles in 2019. (NRC/With PR)