AT LEAST 65 smuggled vehicles were seized during a raid in Barangay San Isidro, Talisay City on Monday, June 9, 2025. This operation marks the third location in the country, after Quezon City and Davao City, to be targeted in the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) intensified campaign against illegally imported and converted motor vehicles.
LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II stated that the units — comprising minivans, multicabs, trucks and heavy equipment — were unlawfully imported from Japan as right-hand drive vehicles and subsequently converted to left-hand drive.
Such modifications violate Republic Act (RA) 8506, which bans the registration and operation of right-hand drive vehicles in the Philippines due to public safety concerns.
“Ang ating mensahe ay itigil na po ninyo ito (Our message is to stop this),” Mendoza said.
“Tuloy-tuloy po ito, hindi po ito ningas-kugon. Ido-double time pa natin ang effort natin. There’s no stopping this,” he added.
(This will be continuous, not just a one-time effort. We will even double our efforts. There’s no stopping this.)
The joint operation was conducted by the LTO in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Customs and the Philippine National Police, under the directive of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon.
It was supervised by Special Envoy on Transnational Crime Ambassador Markus Lacanilao.
During the operation, a female Peruvian national, allegedly the operator of the autoshop in Talisay City, was taken into custody after her name surfaced in an ongoing investigation involving foreign nationals engaged in the illegal importation, assembly and sale of such vehicles.
“The strict enforcement of the law on this matter is necessary to prevent accidents,” Mendoza said in Tagalog.
The vehicles were reportedly sold for around P200,000 to P250,000 per unit, particularly for rebuilt minivan or multicab types. Some buyers had already made down payments, according to narrations during the raid.
In a separate statement from the LTO, Mendoza said the operation in Cebu followed a string of similar raids, including one in Quezon City last month and three others in Davao City, where over 40 more right-hand drive units were seized.
Investigators believe the shops are interconnected.
“These stores appear to be all connected,” Mendoza said. “That is why Ambassador Lacanilao was here with us as part of the thorough investigation into this illegal activity because there were reports that this is run by at least one foreigner.”
Initial investigations revealed the vehicles were imported into the country, converted and then registered, sometimes with the alleged complicity of LTO personnel.
Mendoza previously ordered an investigation into an LTO office in Mindanao that may have facilitated these illicit registrations.
“Lahat ng mga ito ay pananagutin natin base na din sa utos ng ating DOTr secretary. Sa ngayon, malaliman ang imbestigasyon natin para matukoy ang lahat ng taong nasa likod nito,” he said.
(All of those involved will be held accountable, as instructed by our DOTr Secretary. For now, we are conducting a thorough investigation to identify everyone behind this.)
He also called out local government units (LGUs) that may be tolerating such illegal operations.
“Sayang naman yung effort natin kung hindi natin habulin. Pero puwede sana, mag-comply na lang sila sa batas,” Mendoza said when asked about the role of LGUs.
(Our efforts will go to waste if we don’t go after them. But it would be better if they just comply with the law.)
Under RA 8506, or An Act Banning the Registration and Operation of Vehicles with Right-Hand Steering Wheel, it is unlawful for any person to import, cause the importation of, register, or operate a vehicle with its steering wheel on the right-hand side on any road in the Philippines.
The seized vehicles are currently in government custody, with further legal action and investigation ongoing. / CDF