MANILA, Philippines — If the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) had its way, it should have the power to confiscate and suspend a driver’s license after committing three traffic violations.
MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia floated this idea during a technical working group meeting of the Senate committee on public services on Wednesday.
Initially, Garcia underscored the need to strengthen the mandate of MMDA, particularly in addressing the country’s traffic woes.
READ: MMDA working with Senate on bill to expand its mandate
He later mentioned a news report about a driver, who was fined for violating traffic rules.
“Ni hindi namin makuha yung lisenya yan e. Usually yan pag nakatatlong huli, dapat kunin mo lisensya, suspendehin namin e,” Garcia said.
[We could not even confiscate the license. Usually, when caught for the third time, you should get the license and we will suspend it]
He said the MMDA once confiscated the license of a driver but ended being charged and losing the case.
Blame it on the MMDA’s lack of police power.
“When I say police power, it’s not the power to arrest: ‘O, meron kang baril ha.’ It’s just a a power to legislate (the) policy,” Garcia explained.
Senator Grace Poe, who was presiding over the meeting as chair of the committee, said granting MMDA the power to confiscate a driver’s license would be a bit controversial.
“Basta tingnan natin kung ano magagawa natin [Let’s see what we can do] but definitely we should form a body…” Poe said.
At present, Garcia said the MMDA has the power over the ticketing system on national roads in the metropolis such as Edsa, C5 Road, Commonwealth Avenue, and Roxas Boulevard.
The MMDA can issue ticket on the said major roads but they have no power to confiscate a driver’s license.
“Kung yung driver sa isang araw naka tatlong huli let’s say, nahuli na naman, dapat yun automatic kunin mo yung lisensya. Kasi once na kinuha mo yang license nyan, hindi sya pwedeng mag drive, pwede mong iimpound yung sasakyan nya e. Pwede syang matanggal sa kalsada.”
[If a driver is caught three times in one day, and he got caught again, it should be automatic to confiscate his license. Because one you get the license, he could no longer drive, you can impound his vehicle. He can be removed from the road.]
“Ngayon kung driver yan ng public utility vehicle, hanapbuhay nya yan, matatakot yan . Kasi pag kinuha mo ang lisensya, hindi yan makakapaghanapbuhay that time e,” he further said.
But even they have the power to confiscate a license, Garcia admitted that they could not implement it in the whole metropolis for lack of manpower. /muf