LTO auctioning impounded motorcycles, vehicles starting at PHP 17M

Impounded vehicles will be auctioned by LTO

Remember back in October of last year, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region II Isabela conducted an auction of impounded motorcycles in accordance with existing agency policies.

Unfortunately, what was supposed to be an auctioning event that would generate funds for the government backfired when the LTO listed the starting bidding prices of the units at unrealistic amounts in relation to the current status of the motorcycles.

The motorcycles up for bidding were ‘good as junk’ – as told by one of the frustrated bidders – were priced almost the same as a brand-new motorcycle.

Now, the LTO is unloading and freeing up some of their impounding spaces as the agency announced the bidding on one lot of impounded vehicles, starting at PHP 17.366 million.

67 vehicles total

The impounded vehicles, which will be up for auction in accordance with existing government policies, include 14 units of motorcycles and 53 units of assorted vehicles from vans to AUVs to buses, totaling 67. The exact starting bidding price for the whole lot is PHP 17,366,236.51.

Interested bidders will have to submit their Bid Proposal, including a PHP 25,000 fee, to the LTO’s Equipment Unit, Property Section no later than 1:00 PM on March 31, 2023.

LTO explains “brand new price”

Looking back at the October 2022 bidding by LTO Region II Isabela, the agency explained that the starting bid prices that were indicated on the impounded motorcycles included their respective traffic violations, which had to be auctioned off if they remained unclaimed after 6 months or more in accordance with Presidential Decree 1729.

LTO’s Special Legal Assistant, Atty. Alex Abaton, explains that the reason why some of the motorcycles, even with their dilapidated condition, have high starting bid prices, is that the agency had to include the unpaid fines in the bidding.

“Ang nagiging basehan natin dun sa pricing, iko-compute natin una, kung magkano yung violation committed, and then i-carry over dun yung fines and penalties and at the same time meron po storage fee na PHP 5.00 per day,” says Atty. Abaton.

(The bid prices are based on first, how much are the traffic violation fees, then the fines and penalties will be carried over and an additional storage fee of PHP 5.00/ day will be added.)

The LTO added that if these unclaimed impounded motorcycles are not sold at the auction, the agency, under its discretion, will donate them to another government agency like the Technical Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to put them into good use in the training of students.