Manila: The Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced the suspension of three driving schools in Metro Manila and Cavite for allegedly issuing fraudulent certificates for theoretical and practical driving courses. The implicated institutions are located in Las Piñas City, Caloocan City, and Silang, Cavite. Each school faces a 30-day suspension following intelligence reports indicating malpractice in the certification process.
According to Philippines News Agency, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II revealed that the action was taken after confirmed reports of the schools issuing certificates to students who had not completed the necessary course hours. The issuance of both theoretical (TDC) and practical driving course (PDC) certificates without proper completion compromises the integrity of the licensing process and poses significant safety risks on the roads.
The schools involved have been issued a show cause order by the LTO Central Accreditation Committee on Driving Institutions, chaired by
Greg Pua. They are required to respond in writing, explaining why they should not face further disciplinary actions under the LTO Memorandum Circular No. VDM-2023-2460. This directive outlines the Revised Omnibus Guidelines on the Accreditation, Supervision, and Control of Driving Institutions, along with the Standardization of Driver and Conductor’s Education.
This enforcement action follows similar measures taken by Mendoza on Sunday, where two driving schools in Lucena City and San Sebastian, Tarlac were suspended for comparable violations. The rigorous application of these rules underscores the LTO’s commitment to ensuring the safety and reliability of road users by upholding strict training and certification standards for new drivers.