IRENE SINO-CRUZ
Two more motorcycle dealers now face multiple cases against motorcycle dealers Premio Corporation and Des Strong Motors Inc, the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas said in a press statement.
On Monday, February 13, the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas filed 10 cases for violation of Section 4 of the Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.
Under the guidance of LTO Chief himself Assistant Secretary Jose Arturo “Jay Art” Tugade, LTO 7 Regional Director Victor Emmanuel Caindec continues to take action fraudulent activities of the motorcycle dealer industry, especially against the biggest dealers in Visayas and Mindanao by filing cases against the company and its corporate officers.
These cases were filed less than a week after LTO7 filed the similar cases against Des Marketing and Du Ek Sam, known to be sister companies of the earlier stated dealership companies.
Corporate officers, owners, including Mark Allen Du, Jeanine Du, Fe Socorro Du, Roxcel Cabrillos, and Dexter Vale, all employees of Premio Corporation, face five cases for violation of RA 11235.
Another five cases, also for violation of the same law, have been filed against Silvestre Lumapas Jr., Marilou Du-Lumapas, Renie Tumon, and Emelita Binarao of Des Strong Motors Inc.
In his complaint-affidavit filed at the Office of the City Prosecutor in Mandaue City, RD Caindec disclosed that said different individuals and companies who bought brand new motorcycles from these two dealers have been victims of fraudulent schemes.
Section 4 of R.A. 11235 requires that either the owner or the dealer, if authorized by the former, should make the initial registration of locally-purchased, brand new motorcycle units with the LTO must be within five days from the date of the sales invoice or from the Certificate of Stock Reported (CSR) report date for new or used imported motorcycles.
The LTO7 regional director also revealed that more cases are set to be filed against these dealers.
“We have initially filed 13 cases last week and now we have filed 10. We have prepared hundreds of the same cases against these major motorcycle dealers and again, this is for those victims of their illegal schemes that for years were kept silent for their rights,” said RD Caindec.
Under the law dealers proven guilty of the violation shall face, “a penalty of imprisonment or arresto mayor to prision correccional, as defined under the Revised Penal Code, or a fine of not less than Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) but not more than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) or both.”
In 2022, RD Caindec has formally indorsed to the LTO Central Office several resolutions canceling the Manufacturer, Assembler, Importer, Rebuilder, Dealer, and other Entities (MAIRDOEs) Accreditation of these major dealerships in VisMin.
