Title
Regulating Protocol License Plates for Gov't Officials
Law
Executive Order No. 56
Decision Date
Mar 25, 2024
Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. issues Executive Order No. 56 to regulate the issuance and use of low-numbered protocol license plates for government officials, ensuring accountability and public safety by limiting their use to authorized personnel and mandating the surrender of plates upon leaving office.
license plates
government officials
public trust

Constitutional, statutory basis and purpose

  • The Order is issued in view of Section 1, Article XI of the Constitution, which requires public office to be a public trust and public officers to act with integrity and lead modest lives.
  • Republic Act No. 6713 reflects the State policy to promote high standard of ethics in public service, which the Order invokes as a guiding principle.
  • Republic Act No. 4136 (the “Land Transportation and Traffic Code”) underpins the need to prevent unlawful representation of invalid or delinquent/ revoked/ suspended transport credentials.
  • The Order is motivated by complaints about the proliferation and unauthorized use of protocol license plates, which it links to threats to public safety and the integrity of the vehicle registration system.

Who may use protocol license plates

  • Section 1 authorizes protocol license plates only for the following government officials and their assigned official numbers:
    • President of the Republic of the Philippines: 1 and/or PANGULO.
    • Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines: 2.
    • Senate President: 3.
    • Speaker of the House of Representatives: 4.
    • Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: 5.
    • Cabinet Secretaries: 6.
    • Senators: 7.
    • Members of the House of Representatives: 8.
    • Associate Justices of the Supreme Court: 9.
    • Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals (CA), Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) and Sandiganbayan, and Solicitor General: 10.
    • Chairpersons of Constitutional Commissions and Ombudsman: 11.
    • Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Chief of Philippine National Police: 14.
  • All other officials with equivalent rank to those listed may be allowed to use protocol license plates only through:
    • recommendation of the Land Transportation Office (LTO),
    • approval of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and
    • a basis on the list of officials with equivalent rank from the Department of Budget and Management (Section 1).
  • Associate Justices of the CA, CTA, and Sandiganbayan may be allowed protocol plates only upon:
    • recommendation of the LTO and
    • approval of the Secretary of the DOTr,
      but this allowance is not a basis to authorize other officials with equivalent rank and below to use protocol license plates (Section 1).
  • Protocol plates are tied to incumbency and lawful authority under the Order’s rules on validity and surrender (Section 2) and quantity limits (Section 3).

Validity, surrender, expiration, and revocation

  • Protocol license plates issued to authorized officials are valid only during their incumbency (Section 2).
  • Protocol license plates may be used only for motor vehicles duly registered in the authorized official’s name and/or officially assigned to them (Section 2).
  • All protocol license plates issued to authorized officials must be surrendered to the LTO upon:
    • retirement,
    • resignation,
    • separation from office, or
    • end of term or tour of duty (Section 2).
  • All previously issued protocol license plates under EO No. 400, as amended are deemed expired, except those issued to incumbent authorized officials under Section 1 of this Order (Section 2).
  • The LTO, in coordination with concerned agencies, must revoke and/or confiscate all expired protocol license plates, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations (Section 2).
  • Assignment and/or transfer of protocol license plates to unauthorized persons and/or motor vehicles is strictly prohibited (Section 2).
  • Violation of the prohibition, including unauthorized use of protocol license plates, is sufficient cause for:
    • revocation of the herein granted authority,
    • confiscation of issued protocol license plates, and
    • imposition of appropriate penalty, including administrative sanction, pursuant to existing laws, rules and regulations (Section 2).

Maximum quantity of plates

  • Authorized government officials may be allowed a maximum of two (2) pairs of protocol license plates (Section 3).
  • The following top officials may be allowed a maximum of three (3) pairs of protocol license plates:
    • President,
    • Vice President,
    • Senate President,
    • Speaker of the House of Representatives, and
    • Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (Section 3).

DOTr registry of protocol plates

  • The DOTr must develop and maintain a registry of protocol license plates issued to all authorized government officials and/or motor vehicles (Section 4).

Implementing guidelines and timelines

  • Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Order, the DOTr and LTO must formulate and issue implementing guidelines for effective implementation (Section 5).
  • The implementing guidelines must include the requirements and process for:
    • application,
    • approval,
    • issuance,
    • return, and
    • confiscation of protocol license plates (Section 5).
  • The implementing guidelines must ensure they will not expand the list of officials authorized to use protocol license plates (Section 5).

Separability and repeal

  • If any section or part of the Order is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other unaffected provisions remain in full force and effect (Section 6).
  • EO No. 400, as amended is expressly repealed (Section 7).
  • All other issuances, orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with Executive Order No. 56 are repealed or modified accordingly (Section 7).

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