LTO Suspends Issuance Of Licenses
By KRIS BAYOS June 13, 2012, 4:59pm
MANILA, Philippines --- The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has indefinitely suspended the issuance of driver’s license cards last Monday after the supplier made changes in the design and safety features of the license cards without its approval.
LTO chief Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres has ordered all licensing centers nationwide to stop issuing the new version of driver’s license cards that the Amalgamated Motors Philippines Inc. (AMPI) has supplied to the centers since Monday.
According to LTO National Capital Region director Teofilo Guadiz, AMPI came up with a new driver’s license card that is colored yellow from the previous blue, and has new security marks and safety features compared to the existing version.
Guadiz said the existing design of the driver’s license card also came from AMPI but the LTO should have been properly consulted before the new design was used.
“AMPI issued a notice but the LTO Central Office was not properly consulted (on the matter) that is why Assistant Secretary Torres has ordered the immediate suspension of the driver’s license issuances,” he said.
Guadiz said Torres’ instruction was limited to stopping the driver’s license issuance.
He said the LTO Central Office did not elaborate on how to deal with drivers who would be incurring penalties for not being able to renew their licenses because of the hiatus with AMPI or those drivers who had already been issued the new yellow license cards.
The official also did not say when issuing of license cards would resume nationwide but said that the Diliman District Office in Quezon City is the sole licensing center in NCR that could continue to issue the blue license cards.
“But the issuance is limited to renewals only. First-time applicants for driver’s license, those who will upgrade from non-professional to professional or those who will change license restrictions cannot be accommodated yet at the Diliman District Office,” Guadiz said.