Old cars not banned from expressways; LTO photo misused

A Facebook user has misrepresented a photo of Land Transportation Office (LTO) enforcers apprehending an unregistered car to falsely claim that old vehicles are now banned from expressways.

The photo showing a red Honda Civic car with its hood open as several traffic enforcers inspect it on the side of a road was originally posted at 8:08 a.m. on Nov. 1 on the LTO’s official Facebook page. The post said the car was seized and impounded for being unregistered and having an unreported engine change. 

User Edwin Cruz, however, first posted the photo two hours later to the Facebook group “Toyota hi ace gl gradia” with the misleading caption:

JUST IN: Mga lumang modelo ng sasakyan pinapara na ng mga LTO enforcer at bawal ng dumaan sa Expre...See more (Old cars are now being stopped by LTO enforcers and are no longer allowed to pass through the expre[ssway]... See more)

It included a link leading to a Lazada product page for a drone, suggesting an attempt to drive traffic to an unrelated e-commerce page.

The Honda Civic car was headed toward the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) when it was flagged by enforcers, the LTO said. Google Maps confirms that the location was around 200 meters from the CALAX Tollway.

According to the LTO, the inspection was part of “Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Undas 2025,”  an annual interagency campaign to ensure safe and orderly travel during All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. It said these inspections were implemented under existing traffic laws and regulations.

No current policy bans older vehicles from expressways. A 1999 Toll Regulatory Board issuance outlines guidelines on expressway access but only prohibits vehicles that are “dilapidated and not roadworthy” regardless of their age.

The misleading post has garnered 409 reactions, 417 comments and 48 shares. 

Cruz has repeatedly posted similar misleading content in other automobile-related Facebook groups, such as Toyota Raize Official and Mitsubishi Xpander Marketplace Philippines, over the following days.

A reverse image search of his profile picture traces it to a 2021 Gulf News article that identifies the man in the photo as “Dennis,” an overseas Filipino worker based in Dubai. 

Several other accounts have shown spam-like behavior by reposting the same false content with suspicious external links. (GV)