Motorists tampering with their license plates to evade the Non-Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) face possible criminal charges, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) warned.

The MMDA Special Operations Group Strike Force recently turned over documents with images of drivers who intentionally covered, concealed, or tampered with their vehicle license plates. These violations, captured through MMDA CCTV cameras, reports, and social media monitoring, have been endorsed to the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

“More than 50 drivers are possibly facing criminal charges for obscuring their license plates. Within a week of the NCAP's implementation, 90 percent of those apprehended had their license plates veiled, and generally were motorcycles,” the MMDA said.

MMDA chief ordered field personnel to physically apprehend and issue citation tickets immediately to vehicles with concealed plates. The agency continues to monitor traffic through its Communication and Command Center’s CCTV cameras.

LTO Executive Director Greg Pua Jr. assured that show cause orders will be promptly sent to violators. He cited Republic Act No. 11235 (Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act), noting that purposely concealing a readable license plate can result in imprisonment from six months and one day up to two years or a fine of up to P10,000.

“No one escapes the law; the LTO will immediately send show cause orders against motorists who tampered their vehicles' license plates and will be penalized,” explained Pua.

“Covering a license plate is already a traffic code violation. We will use all our resources to identify violators to ensure road and public safety.”

The LTO is coordinating with the Anti-Cybercrime Group and other agencies to track individuals promoting illegal tactics or selling devices to hide license plate details on social media.