LTO lost P250 million yearly to car theft gang

MANILA, Philippines - The Land Transportation Office (LTO) lost at least P250 million yearly to a syndicate illegally registering smuggled and stolen vehicles at the LTO compound in Quezon City, a police official said yesterday.

But with alleged members of the syndicate, including two LTO employees, arrested in a recent raid, NCRPO director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales is hoping the LTO would recoup its earnings and that car theft incidents go down.

“We are confident that from now on owners of luxury vehicles would directly register their vehicles with the LTO and not gamble on the syndicate, where their money would likely go to waste,” Rosales said in an interview.

He cited the admission of Mark Chua, owner of a Range Rover sporting a No. 6 license plate issued only to Cabinet members. Chua admitted paying the syndicate P200,000 for the registration of the vehicle.

Chua, who claimed owning three high-end clubs at The Fort in Taguig City and cell phone outlets in malls, said he bought the vehicle in good faith for P4 million and the No. 6 plate was already attached to the Range Rover.

However, Chua refused to say who sold him the vehicle, prompting Rosales to charge him with car theft and illegal possession of firearms – for an MK5 rifle found in the Rover – before the San Juan prosecutors’ office. A P200,000 bail was recommended for Chua’s temporary liberty.

There are reports that Chua is the brother of Eric Chua, one of those linked to the spread of sex videos of actress Katrina Halili and Dr. Hayden Kho.

Senior Superintendent Napoleon Cauyan, who led the raiding team, said all of the syndicate’s transactions appeared in the mother file of the LTO, apparently through an encoder.

Cauyan said they are now coordinating with LTO chairman Arturo Lomibao to trace the LTO employees working in cahoots with the syndicate.

“We are turning over to… Lomibao all our seized evidence, including license plates, for them to trace where it was manufactured,” Cauyan told The Star.

Lomibao has ordered a parallel investigation into the extent of LTO employees’ involvement with the syndicate.

He and Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza jointly congratulated Rosales “for a job well done” as they threw their full support in neutralizing the remaining members of the syndicate. – Non Alquitran