DOTr urged to probe ‘No Show’ car registration gig

A road safety advocate has raised the alarm over the alleged perpetuation of illegal registration of non-roadworthy motor vehicles using the old information technology (IT) system of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) under a “No Show” scheme.

An affidavit/complaint filed by Martin Nico de Los Angeles, a road safety advocate, a copy of which was received by the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Office of the Secretary last 22 August, outlined that the type of “No Show” scheme has grown and involved at least 18 LTO Offices in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Regions 1, 3 and 5.

Of the 18 LTO sites, 11 LTO District Offices are located in the National Capital Region (NCR), while seven are situated in Regions 1, 3, and 5.

In NCR, the Manila South District Office, Pasay District Office, Makati District Office, San Juan District Office, and Quezon City Extension Office were among the sites mentioned.

Outside Metro Manila, the Dagupan District Office in Region 1, the Baloc District Office in Nueva Ecija, and SanRafael District Office in Bulacan (both in Region 3), and the Tabaco District Office in Albay (Region 5) were cited.

In the context of vehicle registration, the term "No Show" refers to a scenario where one or more fixers collaborate with LTO officials to register a motor vehicle without undergoing the required Pre-Shipment Motor Vehicle Inspection.

Contrary to legal rules, they also do not require the Philippine Emission Testing Center emission test and the mandatory visual examination conducted by authorized LTO inspectors.

Likewise, De Los Angeles alleged that the said registration process stemmed from a Memorandum Circular VDM 2023-2427 issued last October 2023 allowing the use of a third LTO IT system.

The order stipulated that the old and soon-to-be-phased-out LTO-IT system is allowed a “new look” by using a similar-looking Certificate of Registration and Official Receipt as the new Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) system.

The plaintiff also pointed out that using the old IT system bypassed the required roadworthiness tests available only in the LTMS.

Moreover, the complaint claimed that the order might have also violated the Phase Out Agreement dated 9 December 2016, between DOTr, LTO, and Stradcom Corp.

The agreement specified that any system enhancements in the old LTO-IT System are solely intended to expedite the early rollout of the new LTMS System.

The LTMS is a one-stop shop integrating all LTO services in a single contactless database system and digital platform. The project went through a competitive bidding process in May 2018.

Among others, the LTMS offers a complete service offering in motor vehicle transactions—from buying a new motor vehicle and renewing your motor vehicle registration to performing a miscellaneous transaction.