ILOILO CITY — The Land Transportation Office–Western Visayas (LTO-6) has launched a full-scale crackdown on unregistered and illegal "colorum" vehicles across the region, intensifying enforcement operations under a new national directive.

Regional Director Atty. Gaudioso P. Geduspan II has ordered all law enforcement officers and deputized agents to increase visibility and patrols in known hotspots where illegal operators thrive.

This move follows a directive from LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II, acting under the instructions of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez, to sustain aggressive and regular anti-colorum operations nationwide.

Asec. Mendoza has instructed all regional offices not only to conduct special operations but also to gather intelligence on routes and vehicles used by colorum operators. Those caught will face criminal charges—a mandatory step under the new campaign.

In a tougher stance, impounded vehicles used in colorum activities will no longer be released, even if fines are paid, and can only be retrieved through a court order—a policy intended to deter repeat offenders.

“The law is clear. Our work is public service, and we serve the public first,” Geduspan said. “We prioritize assistance to legitimate operators. We do not bend the law for those who hide behind the excuse of public interest.”

LTO’s crackdown is already yielding results, with hundreds of vehicles apprehended monthly across Western Visayas. Recent court rulings have further strengthened the agency’s position.

A Regional Trial Court in Iloilo City recently convicted a van operator from Antique province for operating a colorum vehicle without the required franchise. The conviction was handed down on 17 September 2025, and the vehicle was forfeited and sold at a public auction—a first in the region under the new enforcement framework.

Geduspan also directed the agency’s legal division to prepare cases against violators, reaffirming LTO-6’s resolve to dismantle illegal transport operations that threaten both public safety and legitimate businesses.