Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon has called out Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chairman Markus Lacanilao for supposedly lying on the definition of light electric vehicles (LEVs) in a bid to justify the impoundment of e-trikes and e-bikes beginning Monday, Dec. 1.

’Wag niyo kaming pinagloloko (Don't you people deceive us)," Ridon, chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, said in a statement Saturday, Nov. 29, referring to the LTO.

"In yesterday’s (Friday) @LTOPhilippines press conference, LTO Chief Markus Lacanilao flatly lied to the public on the definition of LEVs for exclusive private use to justify the Dec.1 impounding," the lawyer-legislator said.

According to Ridon, Lacanilao incorrectly stating that LEVs are vehicles that "should not be operated on public highways or any government roads, and if these are to be used in such places, it must be registered with LTO".

Ridon explained that LEV exclusive private use "does not mean LEV use only on private roads".

"LEV exclusive private use plainly means that the vehicle will not be used for hire and will only be used for the private activities of the owner, such as bringing children to school, market runs, church visits, among others," he said.

"LEV exclusive private use allows the use of both public and private roads and, under EVIDA, all major local and national roads," stressed Ridon.

The ranking congressman was referring to Republic Act (RA) No.11697 or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA). The law established a comprehensive framework to develop the country's electric vehicle (EV) industry.

Also on Friday, Ridon underscored that the LTO cannot use the EVIDA Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) as legal basis for the impoundment of e-trikes and e-bikes.

"A basic reading of the EVIDA law and its [IRR] shows this is not correct," said the Bicol Saro solon, who said that the law itself was clear in exempting LEVs from LTO registration.

“The law provides a blanket exemption to [LEVs] such as e-trikes and e-bikes from being registered with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies like the LTO. As such, the land transportation law, [RA] No. 4136, does not apply to LEVs, even if these vehicles use public roads," he explained.

"Necessarily, if RA No. 4136 does not apply to LEVs, its penalties, including impounding, also do not apply to them,” he noted.

Ridon said that a mere IRR cannot amend or restrict an act of Congress. "A blanket exemption granted by Congress for private-use LEVs cannot be cut down by mere implementing agencies through additional requirements that are not found in the law itself.”

Ridon warned LTO that pressing ahead with the impounding on this basis would be unjust.

“The LTO can insist that the IRR is valid unless reversed by the courts. But it should also recognize that insisting on impounding LEVs on Dec. 1 on the strength of such a flimsy and legally contentious IRR provision will be a grave injustice to our people.

"We will fight this in Congress. The LEV and alternative mobility sector may fight this in court,” he said.

Ridon said Congress will act immediately to stop the planned impounding.

“On Monday, we will file a House resolution urging the [DOTr] to direct the [LTO] to immediately stop the implementation of the impounding of light electric vehicles beginning 1 December 2025. Under the same Resolution, we will also review the impounding mandates of the LTO and other agencies, including the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)," he said.