The newly appointed regional director of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas has vowed to intensify enforcement against modified mufflers while addressing the long-standing backlog in license plate releases.
Regional Director Atty. Wendel Dinglasan said enforcement operations will continue but stressed that traffic enforcers must first clearly understand which mufflers are allowed under existing rules to avoid confusion on the roads.
“First directive ko po ay i-determine lahat ng mga enforcers kung ano yung hindi pwedeng mufflers at kung ano yung pwede kasi dun po nagkakaroon ng kalituhan sa kalye eh,” Dinglasan said during a press briefing.
He said the agency may hold consultations with motorcycle groups and bike clubs to clarify directives issued by the LTO central office and ensure consistent enforcement.
“Magkasundo po tayo sa araw na yun kung alin po yung huhulihin, alin yung hindi,” he said.
Dinglasan also ordered inspections across LTO offices in the region to locate unclaimed or delayed license plates and speed up their release.
“Likutin ko po ang lahat ng opisina ng buong region, titingnan kung may nakatambak na plaka at ilalabas po natin yan one by one para po lahat ng sasakyan natin dito sa Region 7, lahat magkaroon na,” he said.
He added that a meeting will be convened between LTO personnel and authorized motor vehicle dealers to determine the extent of delays and ensure faster distribution.
“Once and for all, isosolve po natin yan. Paghaharapin ko po ang buong LTO at tsaka lahat ng dealers,” Dinglasan said.
The regional director is also considering a caravan-style distribution of license plates in coordination with local government units to bring services closer to motorists.
“Mas maganda po kasi yun kasi pupunta ang tao dun. So kami na po ang magdadala sa kanila,” he said.
Dinglasan warned that accountability measures will be enforced if delays are traced to either the agency or dealers.
Administrative cases may be filed against LTO personnel, while show-cause orders and possible suspension or cancellation of accreditation may be imposed on noncompliant dealers.
“Kakalampagin ko po lahat ng dealers para i-produce nila yan,” he said.
Dinglasan assumed office following a leadership reshuffle and said improving frontline services remains his top priority.
“At the end of the day, ang kailangan lang po natin ibigay sa mga tao ang serbisyo na kanilang deserve,” he said. (VCL)
