LTO warns vehicle owners: Update change of ownership
MANILA, Philippines — Motor vehicle owners should update the Land Transportation Office on changes of ownership following a recent road rage killing in Makati and the murder of an LTO official in Quezon City, LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said yesterday.
“It is really important to keep the data of your motor vehicles updated in the LTO, especially in case of change of ownership so if something happens, the LTO will investigate the owner registered in the database of the LTO,” he said.
Mendoza added that this would prevent legal troubles in cases of road rage and other crimes.
He noted that the name that appears in the registration data of any motor vehicle is always presumed as its owner and driver, which means any investigation and liability is addressed to him or her.
According to Mendoza, there have been numerous cases of motor vehicle owners being issued a show-cause order or being investigated by the police after the vehicle they previously owned were involved in road rage incidents and other crimes.
He said that in the fatal road rage incident in Makati, a foreigner was issued a show-cause order after he was presumed to be the driver of a Mercedes Benz since he is the registered owner, based on LTO data. Police also visited his registered address in Las Piñas.
The driver turned out to be another person, businessman Gerrard Raymund Yu, who was arrested and charged with the murder of a family driver during the road rage shooting along the EDSA-Ayala tunnel.
The registered owner of a motorcycle used by the assailant in the ambush of LTO registration division chief Mercedita Gutierrez was also included in the investigation, according to Mendoza.
The owner had failed to update the ownership status when he sold the motorcycle, the LTO chief said.
“It is important to do our obligation to update the LTO if you sell or pawn your motor vehicles. This is for your own protection in case untoward incidents happen,” he added.
Mendoza said he will issue a memorandum reiterating the policy of keeping the LTO informed of any change of status of motor vehicle ownership.
