Ban on religious items from dashboard, rear-view mirror OK with CBCP —LTFRB spokesperson

A board member of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Monday night said the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines is not against the prohibition of religious items from the dashboard and rear-view mirror.

"I consulted CBCP Secr Gen Msgr Marvin Mejia [about] the implementation of JAO (Joint Administrative Order) 2014-01, particularly sacred symbols as accessories," LTFRB spokesperson Aileen Lizada said.

"As a Catholic, i believe it is my moral duty to know what the stand of the Conference is. I serve my Lord 1st," she added.

She said that according Mejia, the CBCP supports the implementation of the Anti-Distracted Driving Act "as the same is for the safety of the motorists."

Lizada added that the CBCP also finds the prohibition of rosaries and other religious items from the dashboard and rear-view mirror as a "non-issue" because such items can still be placed "inside the vehicle."

The LTFRB had clarified that attaching rosaries to the rear-view mirror and religious images and trinkets on the dashboard have long been prohibited under JAO No. 2014-01.

It said that the Anti-Distracted Driving Act particularly prohibits electronic gadgets, including cellular phones, from the dashboard.

The new law also prohibits drivers from texting or making calls while driving. —ALG, GMA News