I am a fan of 2 big local news channels. I used to watch the lunch time news as well as the prime time and late nights. Now, I hardly turn my head whenever it’s on while the rest of the family is glued to the tv. I even wear my headset sometimes to avoid hearing gruesome information. Those few times I’ve watched, stories about prominent people being kidnapped or killed, here and there, and the kidnappers used a stolen vehicle with Fake Car Plates! I asked my husband how and where on Earth did they get those and why is the Philippine Government or the Land Transportation Office (LTO) not doing its best to capture the syndicate behind these fake licenses and car plates?
As a blogger, a parent and a concerned citizen , I have to look into this but not dig deep enough to get me into trouble. There are some alarming facts that the government should stick it’s nose into so they could plan, attack and capture these low-life criminals.
- We have our own Highway Patrol and isn’t it starling to know that every month they are able in their possessions confiscate around 300 of those fake licenses? The number is frightening and sure enough most of those are used in criminal acts!
- Carnapping cases for the first half of the year alone has been recorded to 547! How does these carnappers elude the “tight hands of the law”?
- Kidnapping of not only prominent people has been a problem for many years now. What are the progress to finally put a stop to this?
I believe and in my opinion, that somehow, there is a connection between the false licenses, fake car plates and carnapping. What’s the purpose of stealing a car? Maybe to chop the body parts and sell it, to use it for kidnapping or even sell it as it is, BUT not without changing the plates first, of course.
As for the fake licenses, a naive person who is getting his first ever license went to a fixer or a non-accredited operator, someone who wants a quick process but willing to pay more than the regular legit payment, public utility vehicle drivers who didn’t pass or undergo examinations or even a gang of thieves who uses it to escape the law.
The big question now is – What is Being Done by the Government?
Here are some facts I gathered:
- For the Fake Car Plates
The Land Transportation Office wants to help fight this and it sure is the proper government agency to start the ball rolling and hopefully, resolve or even lessen to a minimum, this notorious syndicates. It has been proven time and again, that car plates can be easily removed and replaced. So, there will be a countrywide standardization program that will happen the soonest. There will be security features and the criminals will have a really hard time detaching it from the car. If, in case, they succeeded with that, the said plate cannot be used again to attach to another car, because there will be some obvious damage, a sign that it was tampered.
This program once approved, has a one year time frame. Vehicle owners MUST adhere to this and sadly, but for the betterment of all, will have to pay for the new plates. I guess, it’s better to be safe and money, after all, can be replaced.
- For the Fake Licenses
I do get it that there are people who want a speedy transaction, well, why not, if this would make things easier. BUT, this doesn’t apply to government IDs! Why pay more when you can pay less? The only sad thing about this is falling in line… for hours.. under the heat of the sun or soaked in rain.
Thus, LTO has posted all over their branches nationwide, warning posters and of proper procedures in getting a license. I have seen in my local branch, an employee, giving flyers to people coming in from the gate regarding the legal process. Since the first time technology was introduced to the branches, they are continuously finding ways to improve. These services help in speeding the process thus lesser transaction time. They do have an ongoing all-out campaign to fight the syndicates and to make each and every transaction clean and adhering to the legal procedures.
- For the Criminals
The Philippine National Police together with their Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group and local government agencies concerned are doing everything they can to seize these criminals and to even put a stop to a pending crime. They have people working 24 hours a day to investigate and eventually crack these syndicates. There are check-points and private car owners must abide to the “no dark window tints” rule. If they see suspicious characters or someone engaged in a criminal activity, they do stop the person, questions him and based on the circumstances, arrests him.
The police and NBI have round the clock men/agents working undercover and checking every loop holes possible before a bust. We do have honest people in the force and I hope and pray, there will be more and that they are true to their words when they say that no one is above the law.
I am truly scared at what’s been happening lately. Heck, I’m even scared to go out, not that my family is wealthy and we have money to pay for ransom. The world is no longer the same and I can say as well as my country. Unless these criminals are captured and no one else falls prey to the promise of a huge bank account or awful lot of money bags, then, the crimes may stop.
Though I have honestly pointed out those facts above and what is being done, I am still afraid for my family. The question still lingers – What can my government, headed by the President, do, to finally eradicate crime. I don’t want to compare, but, there are places in the world that is ZERO CRIME RATE! Why can’t this be done to our country?
I know, it’s quite long, but, I’m pretty sure I perked up your feelings and stirred something in you. If you wanna say something, say it in the comment form below. I do want to hear your piece.
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All i can say, the government should also pay attention for the fixers, to avoid having a rampant fakes plate and license..
The fixers have their own reasons for their acts. Might be that these people want easy money. Though they know it’s wrong and the consequences, they still do it. Yes, the government must pay attention!
Very well said from an observer like you. It is just as simple as ABC — non-action would mean either incapable of solving it or due to rampant corruption.
So true sis and sometimes, I feel our countrymen are already losing hope.. Sad but true 🙁
Being a car owner, i am very much alarmed of the rampant distribution of fake plates and licenses,rigid investigations are needed to identify the people behind this modus operandi
Agree. I hope there will be no under the table happenings or this country will slowly fall into pieces. Thanks sis!
I hope they eradicate this practice of fake licenses. It’s really scary when you can get anything at an instant.
the fixers will be there as long as the lto personnel didn’t do anything about it. here in our place, fixers are “conveniently” positioned beside lto offices 🙂
if the gov’t really wanted to eradicate these kind of crimes, total enforcement of the law must be tightened.
Actually, the government doesn’t have to look far. All they gotta do is to go to the malls. There are lots of kiosks there that offer to make fake licenses out in the open. Penalizing these stalls is one way that they could show that they really mean business.
Wow! really? I wonder why they don’t see that or they opted to just cover their eyes with peso bills lol..
red tape is still the enemy of those transacting business in government offices, if only they can improve their services, nobody will deal with fixers who also victimized people with fake licenses.
Not again. Carnapping is being rampant again. I get sick and tired of hearing these news but as always it is not just the government who’ll settle this issue because our united efforts is much needed as well.
there is probably a connection between these fake plates + carnapping, for all we know the police might just be playing an important role in it, too, but it is really difficult to point fingers when you have no proof. i just hope the authorities will do something about this before it worsens
well said! just remembered the last time i renewed my driver’s license “ang dami pa ring buwaya sa LTO”
Ayun! That was the term I was thinking of hahaha. Thanks!
This is very rampant here in our place. Even the motor stores offer this kind of transaction. Many plate numbers here shouldn’t run beyond the vicinity of our city, beyond the city area, they might caught by LTO.
same sentiments here.. wherever there is Philippine government office/agency, there are ‘fixers’ – even in as far as the Middle East… same set of government people here! so sad, disappointing and frustrating….
This is really scary and I hope they would avoid situations like this.
It also must come from individuals, those getting license plates should know which is legal and not. It’s like questioning the self-discipline and moral of a person, there won’t be fixers and fake plates if there are no patrons…
Hello proud mom…
I understand your sentiments here. I can feel it too.
Even here naman in kuwait… ‘di lang ito sa ‘Pinas ngyayari…or some high rate countries… Even here in our country and even nearby country.
There’s no safe place or country now…it only in our heart and mind that should be safe here…
Thanks for bringing up this to me.
getting even with others is the start of the crime before … now it is more of survival , the reason why it continuously increasing … sad to know but our government is spending alot with less result … how i wish we can straighten up our system
This is a big problem of the Philippine government. There are duplicate plates out there and licenses can be get in Recto U.
there are those who make fake ids that looks really authentic in recto and they are not hiding but they are not being put to jail. what more those making fake plates.. hay.. but I am still positive that our government will fix these things
Hay… this is despairing!
People are not scared of doing bad things. Why would they? Wala naman pangil ang batas dito, so they say. Kill someone, sooner or later, you can bail. Kill many people, (like what Ampatuan did) and you still won’t go to jail! Argh.
Hi Lily! That applies to people with tons of money to slap the face of our Police Department. I agree though there are some convicted for doing nothing but used as scapegoats.. hayz talaga..
I hope this would be put to a halt for our country to progress forward.
As above, so below… Sad but that’s the reality.
True, I sympathize with you. Even a friend of mine is a victim of mistaken identity because of fake car plate number who happened to be associated with a fixer.
I don’t have my own car yet, but I can sympathize with you. I hope there will be a stronger implementation on our laws.