ILOILO City — Motorists across Western Visayas face intensified roadside enforcement in the coming months as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6 moves to sustain its crackdown on traffic violations after recording 55,506 apprehensions in 2025.
LTO-6 regional director Atty. Gaudioso P. Geduspan II said motorists should expect increased enforcement activities as the agency seeks to establish sustained operations rather than intermittent crackdowns that allow violators to return to the roads.
The intensified campaign comes after LTO-6 law enforcement teams apprehended 55,506 motorists for various traffic violations across Western Visayas last year.
Failure to wear a seatbelt topped the list of violations, followed by operating unregistered motor vehicles, failure to wear a helmet, driving without a license, and reckless driving.
“Pinakadamo actually is seatbelt violation. Last year, ranked No. 1 ang failure to wear seatbelt,” Geduspan said during the Kapihan sa Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Western Visayas on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Geduspan said the public could expect more apprehensions in the coming months as LTO-6 pushes its “sustained operation” strategy to compel motorists and transport operators to consistently comply with traffic laws.
He stressed that continuous enforcement is necessary to send a clear message that motorists cannot simply wait for an enforcement drive to end before returning to illegal practices.
Geduspan cited the campaign against colorum or unauthorized public utility vehicles as an example, saying operators often resume their illegal activities shortly after being apprehended when enforcement is not sustained.
“Ma-apprehend ka colorum subong nga adlaw, one or two days operate naman sila pero kon sustained ang atg operation madakop mo ang colorum kag you will be forcing them to legalize their operation. That is what is happening right now,” Geduspan said.
He pointed to Antique, where colorum operations had previously been widespread. Since assuming as regional director, Geduspan said LTO-6 has focused its enforcement efforts on the province, resulting in more previously unauthorized operators legalizing their operations.
Geduspan, however, emphasized that enforcement should not simply remove vehicles from the roads. LTO-6 also encourages apprehended operators to register and legalize their operations to prevent a reduction in available public transportation that could inconvenience commuters.
The regional director acknowledged that LTO-6 does not have enough personnel to fully implement sustained enforcement throughout Western Visayas but said the agency is maximizing its available resources.
“We have to maximize everything para makahatag sang improvement,” Geduspan said.
As part of the strategy, Geduspan activated the law enforcement units of LTO district offices across the region, including those in Calinog and Barotac Viejo in Iloilo, Roxas City in Capiz, and Kalibo in Aklan, to reinforce the regional law enforcement team in implementing traffic rules and regulations./PN
