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THE Supreme Court (SC) yesterday stopped the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) from releasing 700 thousand license plates for motor vehicles and motorcycles.

SC spokesman Theodore Te said the SC resolved to issue, pending the final adjudication of this matter, a temporary restraining order effective immediately and until further orders from the Court.

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LTO and DOTC were prevented from releasing or distributing 300 thousand license plates for vehicles and 400 thousand license plates for motorcycles which have been turned over by the Bureau of Customs in April 15, and license plates which may be subsequently turned over by the Bureau of Customs in connection with the LTO Motor Vehicle License Plate Standardization Program.

The petition was filed by Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz and Paranaque Rep. Gustavo Tambunting against Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., et al.

The petitioners argued that the BOC and the Department of Finance (DOF) had recently turned over to the LTO the license plates that were confiscated and seized from Power Plates Development Corp. Inc./J. Knieriem B.V. Goes (PPI-JKG) for non-payment of taxes and customs duties.

They claimed that the Commission on Audit (COA) had issued a Notice of Disallowance dated July 13, 2015 in connection with the LTO-MVLPSP which required the DOTC/LTO and PPI-JKG to return and deliver to the Bureau of Treasury the advance payment made by LTO to PPI-JKG amounting to P477,901,329.

They further argued that the confiscated license plates cannot be donated and/or transferred by the BOC/DOF to the LTO in view of the Notice of Disallowance. (pna)

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