SEN. Richard J. Gordon, refuting critics of the motorcycle crime prevention law, clarified Tuesday the version of law he authored to prevent the commission of crimes by motorcycle-riding suspects did not impose double metal number plates.
Denounced as the “doble plaka” law, traffic enforcers were reported to have recently required it on all motorcycles.
Gordon, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, asserted Republic Act (RA) 11235, or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, was enacted into law to protect motorcycle riders and potential victims of crimes by so-called riding-in-tandem criminals.
“The law seeks to protect the general public, including motorcycle riders, from crimes committed using motorcycles as getaway vehicle, such as extrajudicial killings, and to give justice to the dead men who can tell no tales,” he said.
Gordon reminded: “Let us not poison the minds of our people with misinformation and disinformation, and use the intent of the law as a political propaganda to fuel any misplaced ire of our motorcycle riders whose safety is our paramount concern.”
At the same time, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno was also reported to have referred to RA 11235 as “Motorcycle Prevention Act” that he claimed “only discriminates motorcycle riders.”
However, Gordon griped that “this is a misnomer because if one would carefully peruse the law’s implementing rules and regulations, it does not impose a metal number plate in the front of the motorcycle.”
Gordon clarified that “sticker or decal number plate will be placed in front of the motorcycle, and not metal number plates.”
“Hindi po metal number plate,” said the lawmaker, lamenting that “this is obviously a fake news meant to gain brownie points among motorcycle riders. Let us not use this law as a political propaganda,” he added.
Enacted into law after President Duterte signed the enabling legislation in March 2019, Republic Act 11235 mandates bigger, readable and color-coded number plates and identification marks to “secure and safeguard the public from crimes committed with the use of motorcycles.”
In turn, the law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations, mandate the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to issue a set of bigger, readable, and color-coded number plate for every motorcycle consisting of a metal plate at the motorcycle’s rear and a “decal plate” in front.
At the same time, Gordon clarified one important provision of the law is to mandate LTO to maintain a registry of motorcycles to facilitate information retrieval in the Philippine National Police’s official investigations and proper law enforcement.
Gordon added that the law likewise “mandates the use of slightly bigger, readable, and color-coded plates so that motorcycles used in crimes could easily be identified.”