CUSTOMIZED temporary license plate designed by vehicle owners will be allowed by the Land Transportation Office in Davao Region while the release of the original plates is still pending.
LTO-Davao Director Gomer Dy said that they will give consideration to vehicle owners who will come up with their own plate designs since the government still could not provide all car plates yet.
He, however, said that if the prescribed plates will be released, they will start the enforcement of apprehending violators for not following the standard for car plates.
"The moment the true and genuine plates will come out, that's the time we will enforce the apprehension of those customized plates," he said in an interview.
He also said it is the government's fault that the release of car plates was delayed, thus, he could not blame vehicle owners from acquiring plate numbers for identification although it has legal implication.
"Yes, there is really a violation but on the part of the government, nag-lax man pod ang government, wala man nakahatag ug plaka. Mag-ingon unya ang tao nga nagbayad nako dili pa gihapon nako magamit akong sakyanan (The government was not able to provide the plates. People might say, `I paid but why can't I still use my car?')," he said.
Dy added that as long as the vehicle is registered, they will not apprehend car owners with modified plates.
"We have to use our common sense. As far as I am concerned, I would not enforce that because there is failure of the government to issue plates basta as long as it is registered bahala'g magpahimo kag gwapo nga plaka (regardless if they will make plates)," Dy added.
In 2015, the Commission on Audit issued a notice of disallowance to LTO after anomalies were found in its 5-year contract with Dutch-Filipino consortium Knieriem BV Goes and Power Plates Development Concept Inc. under its Car Plate Standardization Program.