LTO, PNP-ACG intensify crackdown vs fake licenses and other documents
In a country where corruption runs deep, getting a fake ID or document has become as easy as 1-2-3. And with the rise of social media, people no longer need to head to Manila’s Recto Avenue—long notorious for its counterfeit document stalls—to find someone offering bogus IDs, including driver’s licenses.
Staying true to its word, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has stepped up its campaign vs. fake driver’s licenses through a stronger partnership with the Philippine National Police–Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), as they presented two individuals involved in the production and distribution of fake IDs.
In a joint press conference held in Valenzuela City, LTO Chief, Atty. Vigor Mendoza II, alongside PNP-ACG Acting Director PBGen. Bernard Yang, and representatives from the LGU, PhilHealth and the Social Security System (SSS), presented two suspects arrested for manufacturing and selling counterfeit IDs. Confiscated during the operation were fake driver’s licenses, other falsified IDs, printers, and equipment used in the illicit trade.
Mendoza, again emphasized that the arrests should serve as a strong warning against these practices.
“The making and use of fake IDs will never be tolerated. This fight doesn’t stop here—we’re pushing it all the way,” the LTO Chief said, while also adding that the agency is already looking at improving the security features of driver’s licenses to prevent counterfeiting.
How to check if your license is talahib?
Criminals are becoming more sophisticated each day, with some already able to mimic certain security features of driver’s licenses. Yet, there remain quick and easy checks to tell whether a license is genuine—or simply talahib—slang for fake LTO OR/CR, licenses, and other documents. You can read our story Is your driver’s license authentic or 'talahib'?.
But at the end of the day, nothing beats plain common sense—secure your driver’s license and vehicle registration only through LTO’s official channels, whether online (eGOV.ph) or in person at the nearest District Office, Extension Office, or Driver’s License Renewal Offices.
