It doesn’t matter whether you placed a custom license plate purely in pursuit of standing out or to hide your digits from no-contact apprehension program (NCAP) cameras—it’s illegal.
Authorities aren’t laying the hammer down on this issue as a power trip, either. According to officials, both the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) have good reason to apprehend cars sporting these illegal plates.
In a recent interview, MMDA Task Force Special Operations (TFS) head Bong Nebrija said being able to easily identify vehicles is extremely important in case of an accident.
“We do not find any reason na kung bakit pa nila gagawin yun aside from that,” Nebrija said regarding motorists who use illegal plates or try to cover their license plate numbers.
“Of course, ang tanong ko nga ‘paano kung ma-involve ‘to sa hit and run?’. Pag palagay na natin property-to-property, kotse-sa-kotse, eh tinakbuhan ka. Or tao? Nakasagasa siya ng tao diba? And then makikita natin na ‘2 Joints?’ How can we trace kung sino owner ng 2 Joints?”
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LTO office-in-charge Romeo Vera Cruz shared the same sentiment, saying authorities will continue to apprehend vehicles practicing this illegal act.
“That is illegal and improper. The LTO will apprehend yung mag ganun na sasakyan na meron ganun na setup sa plaka nila. So we have difficulty in identifying vehicles na medyo ano lang. Pero pag meron silang plaka, they will face the consequences,” the official told reporters.
These statements make sense. License plates aren’t just there for aesthetic, you know. Do you agree with the MMDA and LTO’s reasoning?
