The Land Transportation Office (LTO) eyes intensifying its crackdown against unauthorized vehicle plate manufacturers amid the controversial entry of an SUV bearing protocol plate "7" owned by a corporation allegedly related to a politician. 

In an ambush interview, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II said there are already existing security features in vehicle plates that manufacturers cannot copy and produce. 

“Yun din ang pinag-aaralan namin ngayon, kasi gumagaling ang paggawa ng plaka na they try to proximate LTO features pero sa totoo lang sa rami ng security features ng plaka even on plain sight alam talaga ng LTO kung peke o hindi. Hindi lang namin ma-divulge yung security features para hindi naman magaya,” Mendoza said. 

“We will also put a crackdown on these temporary or improvised plates,” he added. 

According to Mendoza, the LTO is also studying the possibility of adding more security features on the protocol and regular vehicle plates. 

Without sacrificing the security features of vehicle plates, Mendoza said the LTO is looking for ways to help its enforcers to easily identify fake plates. 

“We have probably to put another feature that would allow the enforcer plain sight na malaman kung peke o hindi yung plaka. Ang problema ko lang - sa rami-rami hindi naman ‘to kahapon lang. We wanna make sure that the security features - should be very very difficult to copy, kasi ganyan nangyayari diba - kinokopya ng magagaling na tao so we’re really looking for a good feature na matulungan yung ating mga enforcer to identify fake plate or not without going back to LTO,” Mendoza explained. 

He emphasized that the controversial SUV protocol plate "7" was fake. It has been surrendered to the LTO.

“Hawak kasi nila fake in the sense na it is not legitimate - we did not - kung saan nila nakuha yun eh hindi sa LTO. We want to know where they got it - gusto sana namin matukoy yung manufacturer - kung nandiyan pa yan, we have to operate,” Mendoza said. 

Who faked ‘7’ plate of EDSA Busway violator? Probe ongoing, says LTO

“There is no reason for a temporary plate or improvised plate to have a singular number. There is no reason for any manufacturer to produce, manufacture a plate that would make a semblance that it is a valid plate. Especially ‘pag protocol plate yan,” according to Mendoza. 

Mendoza said protocol plates are specific to the vehicle identified by the requesting politician or government official and not transferrable to their relatives. 

According to LTO, it is open to any probe planned by some lawmakers to thresh out issues regarding the controversial protocol plate ‘7’.

“The more transparent we are with this, para mag-serve as deterrent to others not to follow, - whether senator pa yan or ordinary citizen pa yan I mean we cannot allow it to happen na kanya-kanya na tayo gawa ng plaka. Patuloy ang effort ng LTO na isarado itong mga manufacturing facilities to continue produce unauthorized plates,“ according to Mendoza.

He refused to divulge the possible liabilities of the registered owner of the SUV.

“Ayaw ko munang ilabas kasi gusto ko munang makita explanation nila - mamaya ma-anticipate nila yung potential liability. I just want to be candid,” Mendoza said.

The vehicle was registered under the Orient Pacific Corporation.

The company’s representative on Wednesday said they were investigating how the plate was obtained. He added that the SUV was used to ferry guests and investors.

When pressed if the Orient Pacific Corp. was connected to any public figure, its lawyer Maria Julieta Santos said they could not confirm the names of the directors and stockholders. 

Based on the SEC documents obtained by ABS-CBN News, Orient Pacific Corp 1 listed a certain William Gatchalian as its President and Chairman, Dee Hua Gatchalian as its Corporate Treasurer and Kenneth Gatchalian as its Vice President, among others. The document was dated June 2007.