MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will look into several issues in the transportation sector such as the implementation of the child car seat law and the operation of Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVICs).
House committee on transportation chairperson and Samar 1st District Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento said a hearing on the issues is set on February 10, Wednesday.
“Miyerkules ang schedule natin diyan. Nag-usap na kami kahapon ni Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, pina-hearing niya talaga ng maaga (We are scheduled to tackle it on Wednesday. Speaker Velasco and I talked yesterday and he really wants this tackled as soon as possible),” Sarmiento said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
Sarmiento said that the hearing seeks to look into the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, which requires children to use child restraint systems (CRS) or child car seats that are appropriate for their age, height, and weight.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier said they will postpone the full implementation of the law during the coronavirus pandemic as it finalizes enforcement protocols for the law.
The law’s IRR was approved on December 23, 2019, and was supposed to take effect on February 2 but confusion surfaced over the protocols set in the law.
In addition, motorists also complained about additional costs for CRS especially amid the pandemic.
Sarmiento said there should have been proper information dissemination even before the implementation of the measure.
“Hirap na hirap ang tao ngayon. Kung padadagdagan natin ng gastos, para bang, ‘Ano ba itong gobyernong ito?’,” Sarmiento said.
(The public is already having a hard time right now. If we will burden them with additional expenses, it seems like, ‘What kind of government is this?’)
“Gumawa man ang lehislatura ng batas at pinag-aralan ito ng husto, and I can vouch for it, pero na-overtake-an tayo ng isang bagay na hindi natin nakita—ang pandemya. Kahit anong gawin natin, unahin natin ang kailangan sa pandemya,” he added.
(The legislative department studied this measure, and I can vouch for it, but the pandemic, which we did not foresee, overtook us. Whatever we do, let us prioritize what we need amid this pandemic.)
Sarmiento said the hearing will also focus on the operation of PMVICs amid complaints from motorists over higher fees.
At the Senate, Senator Grace Poe has also sought an inquiry into the operation of PMVIC.