LTO shuts down 2 emission centers for fake tests

MANILA, Philippines – The Land Transportation Office has closed down two private emission testing centers (PETCs) found to have conducted anomalous smoke emission tests.

Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres, LTO chief, has ordered the closure of the Fernandino Testing Center, in Sto. Domingo, Quezon City, and the HR Eco Testing Center in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Torres, who has vowed to intensify the agency’s drive against PETCs engaging in irregularities in mandatory smoke emission tests, said that they were also zeroing in on eight more PETCs with questioned smoke tests conducted in the past.

The eight erring PETCs were identified as CATB Emission Testing Center in Bancal, Meucauayan, Bulacan; Airpool Emission located at 1147 Pasong Tamo street, San Antonio, Makati; Net Testing Center along 1151 Quirino Highway, Novaliches, Quezon City; Smoke in the City at 14 East Avenue, QC; Super Sun Emission Testing, Taal, Batangas; W. Red Emission Testing Center in Molino 3, Bacoor, Cavite; Kenzarch Smart in San isidro, Isabela;  and the Mauryl Emission Testing Center in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The LTO said that 18 PETCs have also been fined P30,000 each for certain procedural violations.

Torres said that the LTO was bent on cleaning up the ranks of PETCs to ensure an honest-to-goodness smoke emission testing process that will ensure that smoke-belchers are taken off the country’s major thoroughfares.

Antonio Halili, president of the PETC Operators Association, hailed the LTO and Torres’ campaign against erring PETCs.

“We are very happy with Assistant Secretary Torres’ campaign to cleanse our smoke emission testing process. We hope that more erring PETCs that are giving our industry a bad name are closed down in the coming days and we want to guarantee LTO that PETCOA is 100 percent behind them in their campaign,” Halili said.