CEBU CITY – Beware when buying second-hand vehicles.
BUSINESSWOMAN Cecile Labang and Col. Neil Franca, chief of the Highway Patrol Group-Central Visayas (HPG-7), show two vehicles with cloned license plate number. (Photo via Calvin D. Cordova)
The Highway Patrol Group-Central Visayas (HPG-7) issued this advice after a businesswoman discovered that the license plate number of her vehicle had been cloned.
Cecil Labang sought assistance from the HPG-7 on Thursday morning, Feb. 2, after she found out that the license plate number (NEU-1976) of her Toyota Avanza was cloned, prompting the Land Transportation Office-Central Visayas (LTO-7) to reject the renewal of the vehicle’s registration.
Labang said she bought the vehicle from an auto trader on C. Padilla St. here last year and was able to renew its registration then.
The owner of the vehicle whose license plate number is similar to that of Labang’s also appeared before the HPG-7.
The other car owner, who asked not to be identified, said she was unaware that the vehicle she bought had a cloned license plate number.
She said she bought the vehicle with complete papers last year. The registration of the vehicle is set to expire this year.
The other car owner said she found out that her vehicle had a “twin” license plate number when she applied for a radio frequency identification (RFID) at the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.
The woman said her RFID application was turned down after it was also discovered that her vehicle had a twin license plate number.
Col. Neil Franca, chief of HPG-7, said the vehicle with a cloned license plate number came from Region 4-A based on its chassis.
It was possible that the previous buyer of the vehicle was able to obtain documents called “rebirth” or “born again” which is only available in Mindanao.
Franca said that based on the official receipt and certificate of registration, the vehicle with a cloned license plate number was registered in Dipolog City.
He advised those who plan to buy second-hand cars to get in touch with HPG-7 to check the authenticity of the papers of the vehicle they are purchasing.
Franca said owners of the two auto shops where the two vehicles were bought will be asked to report to the HPG-7. He added that HPG-7 will file charges if proven that the auto traders were behind the cloning of license plate numbers.