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TO PREVENT 'RIDING-IN-TANDEM' CRIMES

Senate OKs bill requiring bigger license plates on motorcycles


The Senate on Tuesday passed on third and final reading a bill that will require bigger license plates on motorcycles and scooters in a bid to put an end to "riding-in-tandem" crimes.

Senate Bill No. 1397 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act principally authored by Senator Richard Gordon was approved with 21 votes.

The measure mandates the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to issue bigger and reflectorized license plates to every motorcycle and scooter in the country. The plate numbers should be big enough to be readable from a distance of between 12 and 15 meters.

The bill states that the LTO must devise a color scheme of the plate numbers for every region to easily identify where a motorcycle was registered, together with an alphanumeric system for easier identification and recollection by the general public.

“For the past several decades, mababasa mo sa mga pahayagan, somebody gunned down by assassins on board motorcycles; sa mga police blotters may hinablutan ng bag, may inagawan ng phone or kinuhanan ng alahas. We have to put a stop to these crimes and making the plate numbers bigger is one step closer to attaining this,” Gordon said.

According to Gordon, data from the Philippine National Police showed that from ‎2010-2017, a total of 39,890 cases of different riding-in-tandem crimes were reported, of which 10,931, or almost 28 percent, were shooting incidents.

“This is an example of the impunity upon which motorcycles have been utilized in killing,” Gordon said.

Driving without a license plate number is prohibited and shall be punishable by four months and one day up to two years and four months or a fine of not less than P50,000 but not more than P100,000, or both.

If a motorcycle was intentionally used in the commission of a crime, the owner, driver, backrider or passenger who participated in the crime shall be punished either by imprisonment of a term of 12 years and 1 day up to 20 years as provided under the revised penal code.

Further, the owner of the motorcycle would be liable if he or she fails to report the theft of his vehicle that has been used in the commission of a crime.

A lesser punishment of prision correcional (from four months and one day up to two years and four months) to prision mayor (from six years and one day up to 12 years) will be meted in the case of a less grievous crime. —ALG/KVD, GMA News

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