THE Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) awaits official guidance from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) regarding a recent Department of Transportation (DOTr) memorandum prohibiting the on-the-spot confiscation of driver’s licenses for traffic violations.
Team head Hyll Retuya said that while the agency continues to issue TOPs (Traffic Offense Procedures) or traffic tickets, enforcement has been affected by the order issued last Jan. 9, 2026. The DOTr is the agency that oversees the LTO.
“We are still issuing tickets, but under the current ruling, previous citations were recalled. The new policy from the LTO prohibits the confiscation of driver’s licenses,” said Retuya.
Under DOTr’s new policy, a traffic violator’s driver’s license will no longer be taken away on the spot by LTO or its deputized enforcers. Instead of being confiscated, the LTO will put the violator’s license on “alert” status in its system.
That means that in the LTO database, the violation will show as unsettled and the license will be monitored administratively.
The driver will then have 15 working days to settle the violation.
If the fine is not settled in time, the license can be automatically suspended or revoked for 30 days.
“Weak enforcement”
Retuya said Team’s citation tickets, TOPs and identification cards, which expired on Dec. 31, 2025, were recalled by the LTO even before the end of the year.
He said Team has already processed the renewal of these materials and is now waiting for new ones to be issued.
However, the larger concern, according to Retuya, is the lack of clarity on whether local government unit (LGU) traffic enforcers will still be allowed to confiscate driver’s licenses, a practice he believes is crucial in disciplining traffic violators.
“As of now, we do not know the final decision, whether they will allow confiscation or strictly follow the rule that licenses should not be confiscated,” Retuya said.
Retuya said the current setup which allows traffic violations to be settled within 15 working days weakens enforcement.
“I personally raised my concern with the LTO because this defeats the purpose … For us in the LGU of Mandaue, deputation is important because it creates fear and discipline among traffic violators,” he said.
He explained that confiscating a driver’s license, even temporarily, causes inconvenience to motorists, which discourages repeat violations.
“In the end, the license is returned. But being apprehended and having your license confiscated (on the spot) causes hassle. That inconvenience stays in the driver’s mind and prevents them from violating traffic rules again,” Retuya said.
He added that without the authority to confiscate licenses, traffic violators no longer take enforcement seriously.
“With the current situation, violators seem to be laughing at the system. If that is the case, what is the purpose of deputizing us if apprehensions will not result in license confiscation?” he said.
Retuya also questioned the effectiveness of deputized LTO enforcers who issue TOPs but are likewise prohibited from confiscating licenses.
“With due respect to the LTO-deputized personnel issuing TOPs, what is the purpose if the drivers’ licenses cannot be confiscated anyway?” he asked.
He stressed that removing the authority of LGU traffic enforcers to confiscate licenses significantly weakens their role.
“As of now, we are still waiting for clear guidance from the LTO on this matter,” Retuya said.
Until official instructions are released by the LTO, Team will continue issuing TOPs while awaiting clarification on enforcement policies, particularly on the authority of LGU traffic enforcers in Mandaue City. / ABC