The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has placed a sports utility vehicle (SUV) under alarm after it was found to have illegally used the EDSA Busway more than 300 times since 2022.
This comes as LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II announced Tuesday that the agency has issued a show cause order (SCO) to the registered owner of the Montero Sport, a resident of Quezon City.
“The SCO was our immediate response to the request for assistance of MMDA chairman Don Artes to look into the case of this repeat offender in the exclusive bus lane along EDSA,” Mendoza said.
“We already identified the registered owner and our investigation will also find out who has been driving this vehicle during the 307 times it illegally entered the EDSA Busway,” he added.
In a letter to the LTO, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Don Artes stated that the 307 violations include 14 instances caught by CCTV cameras since the No-Contact Apprehension Policy was reimplemented last month. Verification revealed the Mitsubishi Montero was last registered in August 2022.
The SCO, signed by LTO-Intelligence and Investigation Division chief Renante Melitante, directs the registered owner to bring the driver and submit a written explanation as to why they should not be penalized.
The driver faces penalties for various offenses, including multiple disregard of traffic signs and obstruction of traffic, and being an Improper Person to Operate a Motor Vehicle under Section 27 (a) of Republic Act 4136.
Meantime, the registered owner faces charges for violation of the Compulsory Registration of Motor Vehicles (Section 5 of RA 4136).
“Please be informed that the Mitsubishi Montero will be temporarily placed under alarm, preventing any and all transactions while under investigation,” the SCO stated. It also warned that “failure to appear and submit the written comments/explanations as required shall be construed by this Office as a waiver of your rights to be heard, and the case shall be decided based on the evidence at hand.”
Mendoza assured the MMDA of immediate and regular feedback regarding the investigation.