Police probe into registration of luxury cars in Mindanao, LTO seeks NBI help
The Highway Patrol Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-HPG) is now validating intelligence reports of alleged illegal registration of luxury vehicles in a regional office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Mindanao.
PNP-HPG spokesperson Lt. Nadame Malang said the report they received was that the HPG clearance for the luxury vehicles were fake and were deliberately used for the registration of the imported luxury vehicles.
“The report that we received was that the HPG clearance that was forwarded to the Land Transportation Office 12 were fake. The PNP-HPG is now validating if there are also HPG personnel who are involved in this kind of transaction,” said Malang in an interview at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The alleged illegal registration of luxury vehicles was reportedly one of the reasons why the LTO sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the conduct of investigation on its office in Region 12.
In the letter dated Nov. 4, the LTO leadership said it has consolidated reports of all the complaints and reports of the possible illegal activities in the regional office, which could assist the NBI in the conduct of investigation.
Aside from the registration of luxury vehicles and imported second-hand and surplus vehicles, there were reports that processing of transfer of ownership of motor vehicles is being done in the LTO Region 12 office even without HPG clearance.
The HPG clearance is one of the requirements especially for transfer of ownership as part of the measure against carnapping activities.
Malang, for his part, assured the public that the HPG will not condone any illegal activity as he assured a thorough investigation into the report