Duterte signs into law bills requiring bigger number plates for motorcycles; energy one stop-shop
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law bills requiring motorcycles to have bigger, readable and color-coded number plates and an establishment of the energy virtual one-stop-shop.
Duterte signed both laws on March 8, copies of which were only released on Thursday.
Republic Act No. 11235, otherwise known as the "Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act," aims to prevent and penalize the use of motorcycles in the commission of crimes.
The law requires the owner of a motorcycle to register his or her vehicle with the Land Transportation Office within five days from such acquisition of ownership.
The law also provides penalties for those who would fail to register their motorcycles; those who would drive without a number plate or readable plate number; failure to surrender seized motorcycle; use of motorcycle in the commission of a crime; loss of number plate or readable number plate; erasing, tampering, forging, imitating, covering or concealing a number plate or readable number plate and intentional use thereof; and use of a stolen number plate or readable number plate.
"The LTO shall issue a readable number plate for every motorcycle," the law read.
The contents of the number plates shall be readable from the front, the back, and the side of the motorcycle from a distance of at least 15 meters from the motorcycle.
The LTO and the Philippine National Police shall establish a joint LTO and PNP Operations and Control Center that shall be operational and accessible real-time, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, to facilitate the implementation of this Act.
It shall be under the supervision of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
For the implementation of the new law, the government appropriated an initial funding of P150 million to be included in the General Appropriations Act.
The implementing rules and regulations shall be promulgated within a non-extendible period of 90 days from its effectivity.
"Motorcycle owners with number plates not in conformity with the provisions of this Act, shall renew their registration and apply for the required readable number plate not later than June 30, 2019. The LTO is given until December 31, 2019 to produce, release and issue the number plates as required by this Act," the law said.
After Dec. 31, the penal provisions regarding the use of bigger, readable and color-coded number plates as required under the Act shall take effect.
The new law shall take effect after 15 days from the completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, RA 11234 provides for the creation and establishment of the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop under the supervision of the Department of Energy.
Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS) is an online platform where prospective developers could apply, monitor, and receive all the needed permits and applications, submit all documentary requirements, and even pay for charges and fees.
The amount of P100 million for the initial implementation of the Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the DOE. The succeeding amounts would be included in the annual GAA.
The Act shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Celerina Monte/DMS
