Customized license plates tolerated due to backlog

CUSTOMIZED temporary license plate design provided by vehicle owners will be tolerated by Land Transportation Office 11 (LTO 11) as original plates were delayed.

LTO 11 regional director Gomer Dy said that they would give consideration to vehicle owners who will come up with their own plate designs since the government still could not provide all car plates yet.

He, however, said that if the prescribed plates will be released, they will start the enforcement of apprehending violators for not following the standards car plates.

“The moment the true and genuine plates will come out, that’s the time we will enforce the apprehension of those customized plates,” he said in an interview.

He also said that it’s government’s fault that release of car plates was delayed, thus, he could not blame vehicle owners from acquiring plate numbers for identification although it has legal implication.

“Yes, there is really a violation but on the part of the government, nag-lax man pod ang government, wala man nakahatag ug plaka. Mag-ingon unya ang tao nga nagbayad nako dili pa gihapon nako magamit akong sakyanan (The government was not able to provide the plates. People might say, `I paid but why can’t I still use my car?’),” he said.

Dy added that as long as the vehicle is registered, they will not apprehend car owners with modified plates.

“We have to use our common sense. As far as I am concerned, I would not enforce that because there is failure of the government to issue plates basta as long as it is registered bahala’g magpahimo kag gwapo nga plaka (regardless if they will make plates),” Dy added.