SC bars LTO, DOTC from releasing seized plates by BOC

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday issued an indefinite temporary restraining order (TRO) stopping the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) from releasing and distributing license plates turned over by the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

“In the matter of Hon. Jonathan A. de la Cruz and Hon. Gustavo S. Tambunting v. Hon. Paquito N. Ochoa Jr., et al., the court resolved to issue, pending the final adjudication of this matter, a temporary restraining order, effective immediately and until further orders from the Court,” SC Public Information Office chief Theodore Te read in a televised press briefing.

According to Te, by virtue of SC’s TRO, the LTO and DOTC as well as their agents, representatives or persons acting in their place, are barred from releasing and/or distributing or disposing any of the 300,000 license plates for motor vehicles and 400,000 license plates for motorcycles which have been turned over by the BOC last April 15, 2016. They were also halted to release license plates which may be subsequently transferred by the BOC in connection with the LTO Motor Vehicle License Plate Standardization Program (LTOMVLPS).

RELATED: Customs turns over 300,000 car plates to LTO

The SC said the petitioner contended that the BOC and/or Department of Finance (DOF) had recently turned over to the LTO the license plates which were confiscated and seized from the Dutch-Filipino consortium Power Plates Development Concepts Inc. or J Knieriem B.V. Goes (PPI-JKG) for its failure to pay taxes and customs duties. These license plates were delivered in 11 container vans held at the Manila International Container Port.

On July 13, 2015, the Commission on Audit issued a Notice of Disallowance to bar BOC or DOF from donating or transferring the confiscated plates. The notice also required the DOTC or LTO and PPI-JKG to return and deliver to the Bureau of Treasury the advance payment of LTO to the latter worth P477,901,329.

Meanwhile, the respondents in the case were Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, DOTC Secretary Emilio Abaya, and National Treasurer Roberto Tan. — Rosette Adel