MANILA – The Highway Patrol Group (HPG) is implementing a massive crackdown on commemorative plates, including the number “8” plates assigned to lawmakers.

HPG Director Roberto Fajardo said they will confiscate plates and will issue tickets to those will commit illegal plate violation with fine amounting to P5,000.

“Mas mapapabilis, tutulungan natin ang Congress, at nag-utos na tayo ng massive crackdown,” Fajardo said.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday ordered its members to return the plates issued during the 16th Congress, after a businessman-singer with a similar plate was involved in a road rage incident.

• Congressmen told to return No. 8 car plates

Other commemorative plates issued by government agencies are not exempt from the crackdown.

Fajardo said the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is the only agency authorized to issue commemorative plates with valid certification. However, the LTO has stopped issuing them since 2015.

“Kung meron silang approval from LTO, walang problema ‘yon. lto lang ang nag-iisyu ng commemorative plates. Pero as per coordination with LTO, since 2015, hindi na sila nag-issue ng authority about commemorative plates. It’s considered illegal plates,” Fajardo said.

Fajardo added HPG personnel are authorized to issue violation tickets especially since some of them are deputized by LTO.

Meanwhile, the HPG said they already located the SUV of Jojo Valerio, the suspect behind the mauling of a motorist in Angeles City, Pampanga.

He said the commemorative plate was no longer on the vehicle, which now bears an ordinary plate.

Fajardo said they will investigate if the commemorative plate in Valerio’s vehicle was authentic.

“As per information gathered, binigay lang daw ng kabarkada niya. We will conduct deeper investigation,” Fajardo said.

“Pinapakiusapan natin na ilabas niya. May order na rin ang Congress na i-surrender. Yun nga lang kung fake ito, maraming naglipanang fake na number 8 na plaka kaya kailangan naming mag-crackdown na sa plate number 8,” Fajardo added.