The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has ordered the temporary reassignment of its Region 12 regional director, Melharrieh Tomawis, to the central office as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in vehicle registration processes within the region.

LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus V. Lacanilao made the decision after visiting Soccsksargen to personally assess reports involving the registration of smuggled and encumbered vehicles.

In line with the investigation, the LTO has suspended all new registrations of surplus vehicles in Region 12 pending document verification and has temporarily halted all personnel movements and hiring to preserve the integrity of the probe.

The agency has also sought assistance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and launched a comprehensive audit of all regional transactions, including vehicle registrations processed earlier this year.

Assistant Secretary Lacanilao reiterated the LTO’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance, emphasizing that coordinated actions with other government agencies will ensure a clean and credible vehicle registration system nationwide.