A group that advocates for road safety visited Davao City to raise complaints it received regarding what it described as inconsistent enforcement of policies on alleged modified mufflers, citing differences between national laws and the city’s ordinance.
The group Road Safety Advocates of the Philippines relayed the concerns from motorcycle riders who were apprehended for alleged violations on the use of mufflers.
The group said some riders were apprehended simply for replacing their mufflers, even in cases where original stock parts were no longer available.
They added that there were also instances where vehicles passed inspections by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) but were still penalized by the city’s enforcers.
“May nakikita tayong mali doon sa enforcement. Isa po dito, sinasabi na basta nagpalit ng muffler, huli. One paano kung ‘yung motorsiklo mo hindi na available ‘yung stock, original design. Number 2 may nahuhuli sila na pasado sa LTO, hindi pasado sa kanila. Eh, ang national agency sa pagpapatupad ng regulation ng sasakyan, traffic laws and rules and regulations, ang lead agency po, LTO,” Bonifacio Bosita of the Road Safety Advocates of the Philippines said.
The group emphasized that while local government units have the power to enforce ordinances, such measures must not conflict with national laws.
They also raised concerns about certain provisions of the ordinance requiring confiscated motorcycles to be fitted with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-approved mufflers, which they claimed that DTI has no specific regulations on mufflers.
“Ang isa po sa nabasa ko sa ordinansa nila kapag kinumpiska ang motorsiklo mo, dahil sinasabing may paglabag sa muffler, papalitan mo ‘yun ng muffler at ang ipapalit mo ay dapat approved ng DTI. Galing po ako kani-kanina lang sa DTI, wala silang ginagawang regulation sa muffler. Wala silang sinasabing approved o disapproved,” Bosita added.
DEFENSE
However, LTO and the DCTTMO defended the enforcement.
Under Section 182 of the Comprehensive Transport and Traffic Code of Davao City, motorcycles and motorcycles with sidecars are prohibited from operating if they are using modified mufflers, detached mufflers, or no mufflers at all.
“Since walay definition sa modified muffler sa traffic code, we applied the common definition of modification. So, kung nagreplace ka diha, imong gibutngan diha og maskin unsa is a form of modification,” DCTTMO Officer-in-Charge, Atty. Eduardo Perez IV, said.
LTO-Davao (LTO-11) also said that under national law, modified mufflers are prohibited if they go beyond or fall outside the vehicle’s standard manufacturer’s specifications.
“Pag sabihin nating modified, talagang beyond or improper, illegal na hindi siya tama sa Standard Manufacturer’s Specification. ‘Yan ang tandaan natin kasi sa Joint Administrative Order, nakalagay talaga diyan na any modification sa isang sasakyan, kailangan within Standard Manufacturer’s Specification. Saan natin makikita yung Standard Manufacturer’s Specification. Remember, bago tayo bibili ng sasakyan, motorsiklo man yan o four wheels, diba may tinitingnan natin brochure? Andiyan ang engine’s placement, length and width ng isang body, andiyan din ang specification na tama sa isang sasakyan,” LTO-11 Law Enforcement Section Head, Yuri Lim, said.
Lim said replacing parts of a vehicle is not prohibited, but it must be ensured that these parts comply with the standard manufacturer’s specifications – especially the muffler, since it Is regulated under the Philippine Clean Air Act.
“Pagsabihin natin na muffler, hindi lahat ng aftermarket illegal. Malalaman kasi natin yan kung illegal na siya kasi ‘yung whole pipe system from sa may elbow hanggang sa exhaust niya talaga sa dulo, the system itself, dapat andiyan parin ang catalytic converter, baffles, internal muffler system. Kapag merong binago diyan o tinggal, it will fall under the illegal modification na,” Lim added.
Perez also said that Section 128 of the ordinance also states that all vehicles in Davao City must comply with the exhaust emission standards provided in the Philippine Clean Air Act.
“Since ang LTO gina-check nila through MPIS kuntuhay mag-modify ka, ila rang sukaton katong 99 decibel, unya nganong madakpan daw kung ni-okay ang LTO. Dili nila masabtan nga in addition sa kana, ang LGU has its own discretion based on Local Government Code, gi-divolved man gud na, gihatag sa jurisdiction ba nga in addition pwede maginistrikto,” Perez said.
CITY ACTION
In 2025, the Committee on Peace and Public Safety of the Davao City Council began hearings to review possible amendments to the ordinance.
“Naghatag na gani mo og guidelines kung kanus-a namo matawag nga modified muffler. Kami pud, as an office, iagi man og proseso. Dili man kami kay wala man mi discretion to change it nga the way mag-implement mi because para sa amoa ingon ani. Nagbase lang pud gyud mi sa nakabutang sa Traffic Code,” Perez said.
“Nagkuha pud ta og engineers na ma-explain sa atoa kung unsa ba gyud ang mechanics behind the possible amendments, specifically about sa mga muffler,” Committee Chair, Councilor Luna Marie Dominique Acosta, added.
This year, the city government is set to convene various stakeholders, including vehicle owners and riders, to clarify enforcement procedures and distinguish between aftermarket and modified mufflers.
“Ang kailangan lang nato iklaro sa tanan kung unsaon ang enforcement procedures ug unsa pud ang difference sa after market ug modified mufflers. Pero karon, strikto gyud ta, bawal kalkal, bawal bora-bora. The rest we can discuss later on and maclarify,” Acosta said.
