Gordon eyes probe on 'slow' implementation of bigger motorcycle license plates law

The Senate blue ribbon committee will call for a hearing on the Land Transportation Office's (LTO) alleged slow implementation of the law requiring bigger license plates for motorcycles.

During a Senate hearing on the spate of killings in the country, Senator Richard Gordon got frustrated after learning that only around 1,000 new plates had been produced by the LTO since the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11235 or the "Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act" was issued in May last year.

"It was passed March 8, 2019, the IRR was published May 21, 2020. Hanggang ngayon wala pa. One thousand plates, ano ba 'yan? That's why we have a lot of killings using motorcycles!" he said.

"One thousand plates? Shame on you! Shame on the LTO," he added.

LTO Operations Division Mercy Jane Paras-Leynes was not able to respond to Gordon's reaction.

"We will write your senior officials several letters here — one for not attending, and second for not doing their work," Gordon said.

"I will now call a formal hearing of the blue ribbon committee motu propio. We will call you to answer why you should not be charged for malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance," he added.

Leynes later said she was informed that the LTO was already able to produce a million bigger license plates, not a thousand. But this did not pacify Gordon.

"It's called incompetence. You do not come here and tell us 1,000 tapos kapag tini-threaten kayo ng blue ribbon investigation magiging one million. Do you think we are fools here? You better prove that you have one million," he said.

Aside from the production and distribution of bigger license plates, Gordon said the establishment of a command center that would respond to calls regarding motorcycles involved in crimes is also vital. —KBK, GMA News