LAND Transportation Office-Central Visayas (LTO 7) Director Victor Emmanuel Caindec warned private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVICs) following reports that they are intentionally failing inspections to extort money.
The allegations received by the agency stemmed after LTO started implementing the online renewal for registrations in some offices in the country.
"I heard a 'sumbong' that some PMVICs threaten to fail your inspection if you don't get the ‘package’ (which includes registration)," Caindec said in a Facebook post on February 22, 2023.
He said he received a complaint on the alleged scheme that is currently happening to PMVICs.
"We are gathering details through complaints and we urge the public to report it to us so that we can investigate and we can file necessary legal actions against these PMVICs," he said.
Caindec also said that their agency received a complaint from a certain PMVIC located in Cebu.
"We cannot divulge the identity of the PMVIC since we have yet to gather more details on the allegation," he said.
As per Department of Transportation (DOTr) Memorandum Circular 2019-009 on the "Revised guidelines for the authorization of private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVICs)," authorized PMVIC "alleged to have committed a violation(s) shall be issued a Show Cause Order by the Authorization Committee."
PMVICs found guilty of violating the terms and conditions of their "Authorization Certificate" and the guidelines stated by the department may face a minimum penalty of P200,000 and a 30-day suspension and up to the cancellation of their authorization.
LTO started the online renewal of the motor vehicle registrations through its Land Transportation and Management System (LTMS) portal in February of this year.
The online renewal of registration is in line with the LTO's observance of Republic Act 11032 of the "Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018," following the full implementation of the LTMS. (PR)