LTO still faces problems with its license plate supplier

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is still facing problems with its license plate supply due to issues with plate manufacturer PPI-JKG. The government agency has been warned by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) not to transact with PPI-JKG, as the company is currently facing internal disputes. At present, there are two parties claiming to be the real owner of PPI-JKG, which puts the government agency in a tight position, as either party has asked the LTO not to transact with the other. Both parties have also submitted separate General Information Sheets (GIS) that come with information discrepancies and inconsistencies on the company’s shareholders, officers, and directors.

With that in mind, the OSG stated that if the LTO were to transact with any of the two parties claiming to be the legitimate PPI-JKG owner, then the officials involved could be held personally liable if mistakes were to be made.

PPI-JKG was supposed to deliver 15 million plates for vehicles that were registered with the LTO from 2013 to 2018. However, the company was only able to deliver 4 million, with some plates getting rejected as they were found to be substandard. Common issues included the thinness of the plates, subpar quality of the paint used, and unreadable barcodes on the plates. 

To keep up with demand, the LTO had to purchase its own license plate manufacturing equipment. However, the government agency has stated that this will only be used for newer vehicle registrations, as it races to keep up with the demand. For the time being, those who are waiting for their plates from 2013 to 2018 will still need more patience, as PPI-JKG has yet to resolve its internal company disputes.