A van covering its rear license plate with a tarpaulin of a senatorial bet for the 2025 midterm elections was spotted on the road.
Automative publication VISOR on Tuesday, February 18, posted a photo submitted by a reader that featured a commuter van with a tarpaulin of detained preacher Apollo Quiboloy attached at its rear.
“Uy, reminder ha. P5,000 ang multa sa hindi nagkakabit ng plaka,” the publication said in its caption on its Facebook page.
The photo was credited to Bernard Santos.
It has since earned over 3,600 likes and reactions and more than 570 comments.
Quiboloy, who refers to himself as the “Appointed Son of God,” is in custody over allegations of abuse linked to him and his religious group, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
A human trafficking charge has also been filed against the preacher in a Pasig court, along with abuse charges filed in a Quezon City court.
Quiboloy is also wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for similar trafficking-related charges.
During the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy for a Senate seat last October, his lawyer, Mark Tolentino, said that the preacher’s campaign would be “God-centered and Philippines-centered.”
Tolentino added that volunteers would handle Quiboloy’s campaign activities.
Law on license plates
Republic Act 4136, also known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, states that motor vehicles “shall display in conspicuous places” their license plates at the front and rear part of the vehicle.
“The number plates shall be kept clean and cared for, and shall be firmly affixed to the motor vehicle in such a manner as will make it entirely visible and always legible,” the law said.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) recently reminded motorists to attach their license plates to their vehicles amid reports of refusal of some owners to put them even after being released.
“The plates are not souvenir items. These should be attached to our motorcycles and vehicles as soon as they are released by the card dealers and LTO. Under the law, there is a penalty if this is not complied with,” LTO chief Vigor Mendoza III was quoted as saying on February 15.
License plates serve as proof that a vehicle has been properly registered and is allowed to be used on public roads. They are crucial for official identification, helping authorities monitor vehicles and ensure their compliance with traffic rules and regulations.
These plates also act as a primary identifier in the event of vehicle theft or loss.
Meanwhile, the campaign period for national candidates in the upcoming 2025 elections runs until May 10. Some candidates use vehicles to campaign, often by attaching tarpaulins to them in an effort to reach voters.
