The Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Philippine National Police (PNP) forged a data-sharing agreement to strengthen their law enforcement partnership, opening access to police investigators on the records of motor vehicles, particularly those that have been used in criminal activities.
The memorandum of agreement was signed between LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II and PNP chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil.
Mendoza said the LTO shall develop a verification facility enabling the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) to verify registration records information pertaining to motor vehicles that are under investigation and/or alarmed.
The arrangement would also facilitate the deployment of an authorized HPG personnel to the LTO command center on an interim basis to verify motor vehicle registration records data that are under investigation and/or alarmed.
The verification will be on a read-only basis. It is also limited to the details in the certificate of registration and official receipt, registration record history pertaining to the previous transfers of ownership and encumbrances, and other items to be verified and any material that may be relevant in the investigation.
“With most of the criminal elements going digital, the PNP and the entire government law enforcement machinery must be one step ahead in order to be effective and efficient in crime prevention and crime-busting,” outgoing Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. said.
“We have been pushing for this kind of partnership even before. And I am happy that under my watch, this was finally realized,” Marbil added.
The PNP, on the other hand, is mandated to allow the LTO to validate the motor vehicle clearance certificate (MVCC) submitted by the registrant for the initial registration of motor vehicles, and other miscellaneous transactions such as transfer of ownership, change of engine/chassis, color, and body design to ensure the authenticity of the MVCC.
The validation shall be facilitated by the PNP-HPG Motor Vehicle Clearance Division, which shall be used by the PNP-HPG for free and without additional cost to PNP-HPG clients.
The uploading of the MVCC shall only be considered as an interim solution while the PNP-HPG is transitioning to a new IT system acquired as part of its modernization program.
“This agreement only solidifies the already existing PNP-LTO partnership on the aspect of law enforcement and eventually [ensures] President Marcos’ commitment to good peace and order situation in the country,” Mendoza said.
“The LTO is doing well in its digital transformation and we are happy to share our insights and inputs to the PNP, especially on matters pertaining to land transportation,” he added.
