Law Summary
Declaration of Policy
- The State aims to maintain peace, protect life, liberty, and property.
- To prevent crimes using motorcycles by requiring bigger, readable, and color-coded number plates.
Definitions
- Backrider: Passenger at the back of a motorcycle.
- Driver: Person controlling the motorcycle.
- Motorcycle: Two or three-wheeled powered vehicles including scooters, mopeds, sidecars, tricycles, and government-owned vehicles.
- Owner: Registered owner or person in actual control/possession of the motorcycle.
- Number Plate: License plate issued by the LTO bearing alphanumeric characters per RA 4136.
Registration by the Owner
- Motorcycle owners must register with LTO within 5 days of ownership acquisition.
- Must report the sale or disposition immediately to LTO.
- Penalties for non-compliance: imprisonment (arresto mayor to prison correccional), a fine between ₱20,000 to ₱50,000, or both.
- Maximum penalty applies if an unregistered motorcycle is used in committing crimes.
Bigger, Readable and Color-Coded Number Plates
- LTO issues bigger, readable number plates.
- Must be visible from front, back, and side at 15 meters.
- Color-coded per region for easy identification.
- Must be displayed on both front and back.
- Made of durable material.
- Prisoner labor may be used for production bidding.
Registry of Motorcycles
- LTO maintains motorcycle database for investigation and law enforcement.
- Includes owner’s name, license number, address, motorcycle ID, plate number, color, and brand.
- Compliance with the Data Privacy Act is mandatory.
Driving Without a Number Plate or Readable Number Plate
- Prohibited to drive motorcycles without the mandated plates.
- Penalties: prison correccional or fine ₱50,000 to ₱100,000.
- Seizure of motorcycle upon violation; must be reported to LTO, PNP, DICT.
- Owner may redeem seized motorcycle with proof of ownership and compliance.
Failure in Surrender of Seized Motorcycle
- Apprehending officers must report seizure and surrender motorcycles within 24 hours.
- Failure results in prison correccional and administrative charges.
- Officers liable for loss or damage.
- Criminal, administrative, and monetary liability for misuse of impounded vehicles.
Use of a Motorcycle in the Commission of a Crime
- Use of motorcycle in grave felony: penalties from reclusion temporal to reclusion perpetua.
- Use in less grave/light felonies: prison correccional or prison mayor.
- Maximum penalty imposed if a seized motorcycle is used.
- Death or serious injury results in reclusion perpetua.
Impoundment and Forfeiture of a Motorcycle
- Motorcycles used in crimes are impounded as evidence.
- Forfeited to the government unless owner proven innocent or belongs to a third party.
- DILG ensures LGUs provide secured impounding centers.
- Real-time computerized records maintained and shared with LTO and PNP.
Loss of Number Plate or Readable Number Plate
- Owners must report lost, damaged, or stolen plates immediately.
- Request replacement plates upon reporting.
- Fines between ₱20,000 to ₱50,000 for failure to report.
- Using lost/damaged/stolen plates in crime subjects owners to imprisonment.
Erasing, Tampering, Forging, or Concealing Number Plates
- Punishable by prison mayor or fine between ₱50,000 to ₱100,000, or both.
- Buyer and seller of tampered plates punished by prison mayor.
- Buyers without knowledge of tampering punished by arresto mayor.
Use of a Stolen Number Plate
- Use of stolen plates punished by prison mayor or fines of ₱50,000 to ₱100,000, or both.
Prohibition on Sale and Importation of Non-Compliant Motorcycles
- Sale or import of motorcycles incapable of displaying readable number plates is prohibited.
- Bureau of Customs disallows importation of motorcycles designed to impede plate placement.
- Non-compliant motorcycles cannot be registered by LTO.
Joint LTO and PNP Operations and Control Center
- Establishment of 24/7 joint operations center for real-time monitoring.
- Equipped with advanced technology.
- Hotline for motorcycle-related crimes operated by LTO and PNP Highway Patrol Group.
- Supervised by Department of Information and Communications Technology.
Appropriation
- Initial funding of ₱150 million approved for implementation.
- Subsequent funding to be included in the General Appropriations Act.
Implementing Rules and Regulations
- LTO to promulgate implementing rules within 90 days of effectivity, in consultation with relevant agencies.
Congressional Oversight
- Creation of a Congressional Oversight Committee with members from Senate and House.
- Annual review starting one year after effectivity.
- Powers to assess implementation and adjust penalties.
Transitory Provision
- Motorcycle owners with non-conforming plates must apply for new ones by June 30, 2019.
- LTO given until December 31, 2019 to produce and issue plates.
- Penal provisions take effect after December 31, 2019.
Repealing Clause
- All inconsistent laws, orders, and issuances are repealed or modified accordingly.
Separability Clause
- Unconstitutional provisions do not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.
Effectivity
- The Act takes effect 15 days after its publication in Official Gazette or newspaper of general circulation.