MANILA, Philippines — Senator Richard Gordon objected to the approval of the proposed 2021 budget of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) until the agency can explain the delayed implementation of a law imposing bigger, readable and color-coded number plates on motorcycles.
“I object to the LTO budget until they fix it up until they give us an adequate explanation,” Gordon said during the Senate plenary debates on the 2021 budget of the Department of Transportation on Tuesday.
Gordon lashed out at the LTO for not implementing and enforcing the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, over a year since it was signed into law.
The law seeks to secure and safeguard the citizenry from crimes committed using motorcycles by imposing bigger, readable, and color-coded number plates to make it easier for eyewitnesses to identify the number plates of motorcycles used in crimes that they witness.
“Thousands have been killed by motorcycle riding gunmen and no solution…Hanggang ngayon wala pa yung plates [Up to now, there are still no plates],” Gordon said.
“Ang ibig sabihin ba ng LTO [What does the LTO stand for]? Late To Operate?…I’m really sick and tired of it,” he added.
Citing figures from the Philippine National Police, Gordon said there had been 824 victims of riding-in-tandem assailants from January 1 to May 31 this year.
Of the number, 250 have been killed, 156 were injured, while 353 escaped unhurt.
He said critics of his motorcycle law are promoting “black propaganda” against the measure.
“They even came out with a black propaganda na kasing laki ng television [set] yung plaka then sasabihin harap at likod. Sticker lang yan. Ano ba ang akala nila sa mga senador? Bobo? Maglalagay tayo ng plate number na haharangin yung titignan ng driver ng motoriklo?” Gordon said.
(They even came out with black propaganda that the plates would be as big as a television set and would be placed in front and back. It will only be a sticker. What do they think of senators? Stupid? That we will obstruct the view of the motorcycle driver?)
“My God. Where did these people come from? Ano bang planetang galing yang mga namumuno ng LTO?” he added.
(My God. Where did these people come from? Which planet did LTO officials come from?)
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the chamber would direct the DOTr to assign an LTO official to seek Gordon’s audience immediately.
“They better give me a satisfactory explanation [of] some timelines that they intend to follow. If somebody gives his word, he must follow it,” Gordon said.
“When we in the Senate draft a law, we cannot be made a laughing stock of these people that we make the law for, that we are toothless, that we cannot do anything about it,” he added.[ac]