The Land Transportation Office (LTO) District Office in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental clarified Monday that Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel deputized by LTO are allowed to issue a Temporary Operator’s Permit (TOP) while enforcing traffic laws, rules and regulations.
Alberta Janine Lawas, chief of the LTO-Bayawan District Office, however, said her office is closely monitoring the issuance of TOP’s to avoid abuses in the past by LTO-deputized agents.
According to Lawas, PNP personnel in her general area of operation (GAOR) would have to first appear at her office to secure TOP’s prior to the conduct of roadside inspection and other related operations.
The TOP’s used are then returned to her office immediately, she added.
The LTO-Bayawan District Office’s area covers Bayawan City and the towns of Siaton, Sta. Catalina and Basay, all in the southern part of Negros Oriental.
A TOP is a temporary document that allows a particular person to continue driving a vehicle pending the settling of fines, penalties and other requirements for a certain violation.
Lawas is thankful that the LTO in Region 7 has finally approved the deputation of a number of PNP personnel and the Provincial Highway Patrol Team in Negros Oriental to assist the LTO in the enforcement of traffic laws, especially Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code of the Philippines.
These LTO-deputized agents will be a big help to the LTO considering the lack of manpower resources the agency is facing in Negros Oriental, Lawas said.
Lawas disclosed she will request for additional LTO-deputized PNP personnel in her area as she believes the number of traffic violators there outnumber the deputized agents.
Currently there are at least two deputized agents each in Siaton, Sta. Catalina, Bayawan City and Basay.
But the ideal number for a city, like Bayawan, would be four to five LTO-deputized agents, and three for the municipalities to allow for shifting schedules, according to Lawas. (JFP)
