Senator Robin Padilla joined motorcycle riders in backing efforts to amend the “mapaniil (repressive)” and potentially unsafe Republic Act 11235 (the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act), or locally known as the “Doble Plaka” Act.
In his interpellation of Senate Bill 2555, which seeks to amend RA 11235, Padilla – himself a motorcycle rider – said the current law does not seem to achieve its goal of stopping “riding-in-tandem” crimes.
“Hindi ito talaga nakatulong sa anumang usapin.”
“Ako po ay isa sa mga rider na umaasa na magkaroon ng pagbabago sa batas na ito, sapagka’t hindi ito talaga nakatulong sa anumang usapin,” the legislator said.
The lawmaker noted the Land Transportation Office may not be able to implement the law properly because while some 1.4 million registered motorcycles, more than 10 million are not.
“Kaya kung ito ang sinasabi mismo ng LTO na di nila maimplement, siguro dapat nang baguhin ang Doble Plaka law,” the senator stressed.
He likewise pointed out a potential threat to riders if the Doble Plaka law requires them to mount plates on the front and back of their motorcycles, which are not designed to accommodate a license plate in the front.
“Meron ding issue ang ating rider sa safety ng rider. Meron din bang issue patungkol sa full force wind blast? Tumatama yan sa mukha mo,” Padilla said.
Senator Francis Tolentino, one of the authors and the sponsor of Senate Bill 2555, cited data from the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group showing that out of 1.412 million motorcycles registered as of October 2023, a minuscule 57 were linked to “riding-in-tandem” crimes.
Tolentino added the law would negatively affect Filipinos who use their motorcycles to bring their wives to work, their children to school, and for their livelihood as delivery riders.
“Hindi sila kriminal… Hindi natin sila dapat ituring na criminal.”
“Hindi sila kriminal… Hindi natin sila dapat ituring na kriminal,” the legislator stressed.
Aside from this, the lawmaker said the Land Transportation Office (LTO) suspended the implementation of the law due to a backlog of motorcycle license plates, which reached more than 10 million as of Feb. 29 this year.
Senator JV Ejercito, another author of SB 2555, said the backlog is one reason he authored the measure.
“Kung may batas na ‘di ma-implement, dapat siguro baguhin. Para saan pa ‘yan?” Padilla noted.
