Law Summary
Assigned Plate Numbers for City and Provincial Officials
- Plate numbers are also specifically assigned to officials of chartered cities and provinces.
- Officials covered include City Mayors, Vice-Mayors, Councilors, Engineers, Treasurers, Police Chiefs, Public Health Officers, Auditors, and Judges.
- Provincial officials such as Governors, Vice-Governors, Provincial Board Members, Provincial Treasurers, Engineers, Fiscals, Commanders, Health Officers, and Auditors also have assigned plate numbers.
- Certain number ranges are reserved for future allocation by the Office of the President.
Allocation for Other High-Ranking Government Officials
- Other ranking officials in various government departments, bureaus, offices, and government-owned or controlled corporations with salary grade 55 or above, who have no specific assigned numbers, may be allocated reserved plates according to the established pattern.
- This provision covers officials who hold positions higher than chiefs of divisions or equivalent, ensuring they receive appropriate number plates.
Mandatory Use of Officially Issued Motor Vehicle Plate Numbers
- No motor vehicle shall be legally operated in the Philippines without a duly issued motor vehicle plate number from the Motor Vehicle Office.
- This requirement applies to all vehicles, including those of the United States Armed Forces stationed in the Philippines.
- U.S. Armed Forces vehicles, while exempt from registration fees under existing Philippine laws or treaties, must still obtain and display official plate numbers for identification.
Inclusion of Commanding Officers of U.S. Air and Naval Forces
- Commanding Officers of the United States Air and Naval Forces in the Philippines are explicitly included among officials entitled to reserved motor vehicle plate numbers.
- The plate numbers for these officers are designated as 132 and 131 respectively.
Limitation on Number of Plates Issued Per Official
- Each official entitled to a reserved plate shall not be assigned more than one registration number plate.
- Exceptions are made for specific top-ranking officials who may be issued more than one plate, including:
- President and Vice-President of the Philippines
- President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Cabinet Members and the Auditor General
- Members of Congress
- Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court
- Presiding Justice and Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals
Effectivity of the Order
- The amendments and rules set forth take effect on January 1, 1960.
- The order was signed and enacted in Manila on February 5, 1960, by President Carlos P. Garcia and Executive Secretary Natalio P. Castillo.