SEN. Richard Gordon reminded the Land Transportation Office (LTO) over the weekend to stick to the spirit of the recently enacted Motorcycle Crime Prevention Law in writing its implementing rules and regulations (IRR), as motorbike rider groups mounted a protest caravan on Edsa in a bid to pressure authorities to delay its enforcement.
Gordon, principal author of the awaited remedial legislation embodied in Republic Act 11235, stressed that implementing authorities “should not digress from the purpose of the law,” which is principally to protect the citizenry from crimes committed involving use of motorcycles.
However, a party-list representative on Sunday urged Congress to reconsider amending the said law to prevent permanent damage and even lives lost on the part of the motorcyclists.
Senior Deputy Minority Leader Lito Atienza of Buhay said the Republic Act 11235 has fundamental defects, and the sooner it is adjusted to international norms and standards on safety, the better for motorcyclists.
In a statement, Gordon indicated he expects enforcement authorities under the Duterte administration to start “taking action against riding-in-tandem crimes with the enactment of this law.”
Gordon added: “We should not let this law die because of poor implementation; that is why the LTO should do the IRR properly.”
In issuing the reminder, the author of the new law stressed that writing the implementing rules is “not lawmaking; it is just an explanation of how the law will be implemented.”
Gordon, concurrent chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, intends to sit down with the LTO in writing the implementing rules “so they will get the purpose of the law correctly.”
He recalled holding talks with LTO officials even in the early days before he filed the bill that is now known as the Motorcyle Crime Prevention Law.
“However, laws die in the implementation. Therefore, the LTO must be careful in writing the IRR. As the principal author and sponsor, I would like to help the Committee, which will draft the IRR, to make sure that it reflects the genuine spirit of the law,” the senator said.
As a former mayor of Olongapo City, Gordon recalled his experience in implementing a public transport color-coding scheme in Olongapo, expressing hope this could contribute greatly in the crafting of the IRR. “Olongapo City has been implementing a public transport color-coding scheme since 1985, when I was mayor of the city. The scheme has been an effective tool in deterring crimes and is still implemented up to this day. My experience in implementing such scheme in Olongapo would greatly contribute to the crafting of the IRR,” said Gordon.
In flagging “defects” of the law, Buhay’s Rep. Atienza said, “Motorcycles are designed for speed and maneuverability. These cumbersome plates or decals will hamper the movement of and are even dangerous to legitimate motorcycle-riding citizens.”
He also took issue with the new plates or decal requirement.
“And why should the government be issuing new plates or decals when motorcycle owners have been waiting for their new plates since the last administration? These are plates that they have paid for but have not received until now,” Atienza added.
President Duterte recently signed a law referring to the
so-called doble plaka law or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act or RA 11235,
requiring the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to issue bigger color-coded
number plates for motorcycle.
According to Atienza, the law’s intention is to curb the activities of riding-in-tandem criminals. But the genuine solution lies in efficient police action so as not to endanger the lives of motorcyclists and their passengers.
Under the law, the LTO will be tasked to issue readable license plates for every motorcycle. The readable plates must be displayed in both the front and back sides of a motorcycle. The LTO has been given until December 31, 2019, to produce, release and issue the number plates as required by the act.
Those who are driving sans a license plate or a readable one shall be also be punished six months and one day to six years imprisonment, or a fine not less than P50,000 but not more than P100,000.
Butch Fernandez and Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
Image credits: Roy Domingo