Most ‘kambal-plaka’ buses come from Pangasinan – LTO

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 LINGAYEN –Land Transportation Office (LTO) Ilocos Regional Director Teofilo Guadiz III said most of the bus companies that illegally used twin or multiple identical plates (kambal-plaka)are from Pangasinan province.

Lawyer Teofilo Guadiz III

 Guadiz told recently reporters here that up to three buses use one valid plate number in their franchise on public utility vehicle.
 “Ang hirap po niyan kasi tingnan mo from the outside talagang legal iyong plaka. Pag sinuri mo naman iyong papeles hindi nga iyon ang plaka which is assigned to the bus company,” he said.
 He said as of press time his office apprehended three buses from Pangasinan, La Union, and Ilocos Sur.
 Twin or multiple plates means the government is deprived of thousands of pesos of revenue to each of the vehicle where it is registered at the LTO.
 Media reports including this paper said that certain bus company based in Lingayen, Pangasinan bribes LTO officials in the region and the province for P30 thousand a month for the use of these improvised plates.
 “Dito sa Pangasinan nakaka half-a-million pesos na in a month ang LTO dahil diyan sa kambal plaka,” a source who asked anonymity told this paper.
 Guadiz said he did not know about the protection money that changed hands between rogue LTO personnel at the Region-1 office in La Union and the province and the conspiring franchisee when asked about the alleged collusion.
 He said in case there is collusion among LTO personnel and bus owners the investigation should target personnel at the central office in Manila. “Dahil central office iyong nag-i-isyu ng plaka hindi kami. Pero iyong pagawa ng pekeng plaka dito po sa Pangasinan ginagawa maganda po ang pagkagawa,” he said.