The Land Transportation Office released a statement on Thursday evening reiterating that local government units have no authority to confiscate driver’s licenses during apprehensions. The agency also states that this non-confiscation policy also applies to its own deputized enforcement officers.
Furthermore, the statement cites Supreme Court jurisprudence and administrative issuances from the Department of Transport and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to support the fact that while LGU enforcers may issue citation tickets, there is no legal basis for the confiscation of licenses at the moment of apprehension.
Read: LTO issues official statement on driver’s license confiscations
The LTO’s bulletin follows an earlier statement made by the city government of Bacoor, Cavite, claiming that its traffic enforcers were authorized to confiscate the licenses of motorists violating traffic rules.
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The Bacoor City LGU cites its own City Ordinance No. 11-2019, Section 23 of the Revised Traffic Code as basis for this claim. It also argues that the Supreme Court’s recent ruling only applies to Metro Manila LGUs and its officers—as Bacoor falls outside Metro Manila, the LGU supposedly has the right to exercise its own authority per its local government code.
Read: City Government of Bacoor, Cavite statement on traffic enforcement
The LTO closes its own statement by reminding all parties involved on the road—LGUs, traffic enforcement agencies, and motorists—to comply with existing traffic laws and regulations. As of writing, the Bacoor City LGU has not made further edits or additions to its original statement, and the post remains up on its Facebook page.
