Section 5(d), Article 1, Chapter II "Registration of Motor Vehicles" of the Republic Act 4136 which states that:

Change of motor number prohibited - No repair or change in the motor vehicle involving the exchange, elimination, effacing, or replacing of the original or registered serial or motor number as stamped or imprinted, shall be allowed, and any motor vehicle with a trace of having its motor number altered or tampered will shall be refused registration or re-registration, unless such is satisfactorily explained and approved by the Commissioner (now the Assistant Secretary)- (emphasis supplied)

was amended by Batas Pambansa Bilang 74, which provides that:

Unless satisfactorily explained to and approved by the Director of Land Transportation (now Assistant Secretary), no repair involving the restoration of the original or registered serial number as stamped on the engine shall be allowed. No change involving an alteration of or tampering with the original or registered engine serial number of a motor vehicle shall ever be allowed, and any motor vehicle with a trace of having its engine serial number altered or tampered with shall be refused registration or re-registration, (underscoring supplied)

In view of the above-cited provisions of the law, the following guidelines are hereby promulgated;

1. Assigning and stamping of new serial number to a defaced engine or motor is prohibited:

2. No registration or re-registration shall be allowed to a motor vehicle with a trace of having its engine serial-number altered or tampered.

3. No registration, re-registration, or processing of stock reporting shall be allowed to an engine whose serial number does not include its model/series e.g. 7K-12345 (7K is the engine's model/series which also identifies the engine's manufacturer); 4. Restoration of the original or registered serial number of the engine shall only be allowed if the request for such is properly supported with the necessary documents and is duly approved by the Assistant Secretary.

The documents, but not limited to, shall be submitted in requesting for the restoration of the original or registered serial number of the engine:

a) Affidavit stating the circumstances besetting the effacing or obliteration of the serial number of the engine;
b) Letter-request from the owner for the restoration of the engine's serial number;
c) PNP-TMG macro-etching report and clearance for the purpose of restoring the original or registered serial number;
d) Source documents such as Certificate of Registration, BOC Certificate of Payment, Sale's Invoice, etc.; and
e) MVIS inspection report;

5. Stamping of additional character to an engine's serial number, which is in duplication to the one already registered or reported to the LTO, shall be the responsibility of its manufacturer or assembler. Provided that such addition to the original engine's serial number is properly reported and approved by the Assistant Secretary.

Duty of manufacturers of engine blocks, chassis or body to cause number of engine blocks, chassis or body manufactured - any person engaged in the '. manufacture of engine block, chassis or body shall cause the numbering of every engine block, chassis or body manufactured in a convenient and conspicuous part thereof of which the Land Transportation Commission (now the Land Transportation Office) may direct for the purpose of uniformity and identification of the factory x x x Section 9, R.A. 6539 (An Act Preventing and Penalizing Carnapping)

It should be clear to all concerned that the mandate of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) as far as the registration of motor vehicle is concerned is to ensure that the motor vehicle is legitimately acquired, the motor vehicle is roadworthy, and the correct road user's tax is collected.

All memoranda and orders that are in conflict herewith are hereby deemed superseded.

This order shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 14 Mar. 2008

(SGD.) ALBERTO H. SUANSING
Assistant Secretary