Sotto: Don’t ‘demonize’ child car seat law

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday defended the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act against its opponents, appealing that the law should not be “demonized.”

In his privilege speech, Sotto lamented the misinterpretation of the law passed during the 17th Congress.

He said that he does support the postponement of the law’s implementation due to the pandemic. However, he added that the law should not be deferred if it is solely that the law has been misinterpreted.

“If the reason for the postponement is due to the pandemic, this is alright with me. I support such a move. However, if the reason for the postponement is not due to the pandemic but that the law is being misinterpreted, that, I cannot support,” Sotto said.

“OK lang na i-postpone [It’s OK to postpone], walang problema sa [there’s no problem with] postponement, but please do not demonize [the law]…I can only pray that our children and grandchildren do not get hurt because of the misunderstanding of the law. Kaya [So] please, basa muna bago kumontra [read the law before opposing it],” he added.

Enacted in February 2019, Republic Act No. 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicle Act aims to provide additional safety and avoid injury and death to child passengers.

The law’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR) were approved on December 23, 2019. The law was due to come into force on February 2.

However, the Department of Transportation has deferred the law’s full enforcement during the coronavirus pandemic as it finalizes protocols for its enforcement.

READ: Full enforcement of child car seat law deferred

“Republic Act 11229 is a very simple law with just 18 sections…But why is it being misinterpreted?” Sotto went on.

Under the law’s implementing rules, children 12 years old and below who are shorter than 4’11 are no longer allowed to sit in the front seat or left unattended inside a private vehicle.

READ: EXPLAINER: The Child Safety In Motor Vehicles Act

The law also requires children to use child restraint systems (CRS) or child car seats appropriate for their age, height, and weight.

Sotto recalled being asked by a radio announcer about whether she would be apprehended if she sits on a car’s front seat since she’s barely 4 ’10.

“Baka hulihin daw siya ng pulis. Bakit? Mukha ka bang 11 years old? The law is so clear. ‘Child.’ Mukha ka bang child? Social media contributes to this misinterpretation,” he said.

(She said police may apprehend her. Why? Do you look like an 11-year-old? The law is clear. ‘Child.’ Do you look like a child? Social media contributes to this misinterpretation.)

“Merong nagsasabi na paano daw yung anak niya 11 years old lang e 5 ’8. E ‘di hindi kailangan. Common sense. It has to be combined. The law says combined, the age and the height at saka weight,” he added.

(People are saying what about their children who are 11 years old but are 5 ‘8? Then the car seat is no longer needed. Common sense. It has to be combined. The law says combined, the age and the height as well as weight.)

“If a child does not fall in these age and height requirements as provided by the law, the usual seatbelt will suffice,” he also said.

Sotto further defended the bill, arguing that mandating the use of age-appropriate child restraint devices, such as car seats and booster seats, is one of the evidence-based road safety measures that will save the lives of minor passengers and give them a greater chance of surviving a car accident.

“Really, I wonder, in this issue, who the cerebrally challenged are. The implementers or those opposing the law on social media?” he added.

Nevertheless, the senator acknowledged that enforcement has always been a problem in the numerous laws on road safety in the country.

“Our country is behind when it comes to safety in transportations, especially on the safety of children,” he said.

The Senate president also disputed supposed claims that the reason Congress passed the said law was to boost child car seat manufacturers’ sales, particularly from China.

“If that is the argument, well, then do not buy the iPhone dahil assembled in China. The Xiaomi products, Huawei, Lenovo, shoes like Nike, Adidas, and other top sneaker brands. As they are all manufactured in China, baka kumita ang China pagka ganoon. Puro US ang bilhin ninyo,” he said.

(If that is the argument, well, then do not buy the iPhone because it’s assembled in China. The Xiaomi products, Huawei, Lenovo, shoes like Nike, Adidas, and other top sneaker brands. As they are all manufactured in China, they may profit off of it. Only buy US products then.)

“It is not a reason. Huwag ninyong gagamitin na dahilan kasi baka raw may kikita lang, meron lang gustong kumita sa gobyerno,” he added.

(It is not a reason. Don’t use that as a reason that the law was passed so that someone can make a profit, someone wants to make money in the government.)

Senator Pia Cayetano, reacting to Sotto’s privilege speech, said that the law’s implementing agency—the Land Transportation Office (LTO)—could have prepared better for the launch of the child car seat law.

“Especially in this time of Covid. I agree with a lot of our colleagues that the timing was not really great. But that was beyond our control,” Cayetano said.

“But even with the knowledge that it’s going to be applicable, did [the implementing agency] even give [the public] enough time to prepare? To buy? Do the stores even know the standard [when] a mother would buy the products for her child? Do they even know para they can stock all of it?” she added.

Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed support for the law, citing a study of the World Health Organization, which showed that road injuries are still the third leading cause of death of children aged 5 to 9.

Hontiveros chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality.

“Our highest priority should always be our children and their safety,” she said.

“As science allows us to discover new things, we must make sure our laws keep up and that these laws are clearly spelled out and if necessary clarified in the implementing rules and regulations,” she added.

The Senate public services committee will be conducting a hearing into the child car seat law on Tuesday.

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