The Highway Patrol Group (HPG) on Sunday belied allegations about indiscriminate apprehensions of vehicles, notably those with tires older than five years for being “not roadworthy” pursuant to an allegedly order by the Land Transportation Office.
An HPG official who requested anonymity earlier claimed that LTO chief Markus Lacanilao issued a memo directing the HPG to issue ticket citations on vehicles with tires older than five years, described as “not roadworthy” and that vehicle registration would be adversely affected by these purported new rules.
Lacanilao denied having issued such order, clarifying that the campaign involves cross-checking engine numbers and confiscation of illegal modifications such as loud exhausts and unauthorized sirens.
“The LTO clarifies that these claims are ‘not true’. No such directive, policy, or memo had been issued,” Lacanilao stressed.
Meanwhile, HPG chief Brig. Gen. Hansel Marantan, in a message to Manila Standard, said they were pulling over cars, but only the those with illegal modifications such as blinkers, sirens and loud pipes.
“It is correct, we fully support the statement of the LTO chief. In fact we have been doing it… long before it was state. We have confiscated 17,000 plus modifications.. like blinkers, wang-wang, loud exhausts, among others,” he said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “LTO, HPG deny luxury cars being randomly pulled over”
