Production of Driver’s Licenses Delayed Anew with TRO from QC RTC

MANILA: Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 125 issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Banner Plasticard Inc., the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) new supplier for driver’s license cards.

The TRO was issued based on a petition filed by Allcard Inc., the previous supplier of license cards to the LTO.

The LTO assures the public that the TRO is just a “temporary setback” and anticipates that the entire backlog of license cards will be cleared by the end of the year.

“Meron po itong hearing on August 22 at 2 p.m. at doon pagbibigyan ang LTO para ipakita sa korte na walang basehan ang paghinto ng delivery ng license cards (There will be a hearing on August 22 at 2 p.m. where the LTO will be given a chance to show the court that there is no basis for suspending the delivery of license cards),” LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II stated.

He said that to date, Banner Plasticard Inc. has delivered around 100,000 cards. The supplier had been contracted to deliver a total of one million cards within its first 60 days before the TRO was filed.

“Itong 60 days na ‘to ay matatapos sa katapusan ng September so ‘yun ang hinahanda natin, ng district offices, na maibaba natin ito agad (This 60 days will end by the end of September so that is what we, the district offices, are preparing for, so that we can take distribute these immediately),” Mendoza added.

He said that once Banner Plasticard Inc. completes its first delivery, the LTO's backlog of around 1.7 million driver's licenses will have been reduced by more than half.

“So, with one million cards in the first 60 days, then another one million 60 days thereafter, itong taon na ito, tapos na tayo sa backlog (this year, we are done with the backlog),” Mendoza stated.

In a separate statement, the LTO reiterated its willingness to comply with the legal  process and the Department of Transportation's (DOTr) directives. 

“The Land Transportation Office, under the leadership of Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, assures its commitment in adhering to the legal process. Right now, we are consulting and coordinating with the Department of Transportation, particularly on the aspect of cushioning the impact of the court’s decision to our clients,” the agency stated. “We hope that this issue would be addressed in the soonest possible time because it is the Filipino people who would certainly suffer from a prolonged legal battle.”

Photos from Land Transportation Office

Also read:

First batch of driver's license cards handed over to LTO

LTO sets medical exam fees for driver's license application at P300

How to acquire a driver's license in the Philippines