Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez
PHOTO FROM HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MANILA, Philippines — A resolution seeking an investigation into the no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP) — and a call to defer its implementation until issues are resolved — has been filed by 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez before the House of Representatives.
Gutierrez on Tuesday filed House Resolution (HR) No. 2293, asking the House committee on transportation to check whether the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is ready to implement the NCAP, following the Supreme Court (SC) decision to lift the temporary restraining order.
READ: No-contact apprehension takes effect along major roads after SC lifts TRO
According to Gutierrez, the reasoning behind NCAP is commendable, but there are different issues left unaddressed, like unclear traffic rules and signages, and the slow delivery of notice of violations (NOVs).
“The intention behind NCAP is commendable, but the lifting of the TRO does not cure the existing problems. Its current implementation is flawed and unfairly impacts our motorists. We need clear road signages, transparent ownership transfer processes, and a system that respects due process to ensure fairness,” Gutierrez said.
“The reimplementation of the NCAP without addressing these unresolved issues could result in public confusion, erosion of trust, and potential legal challenges, especially in the absence of updated legislative oversight or improved operational guidelines,” he added in the resolution.
According to Gutierrez, it is the duty of Congress to ensure that existing traffic mechanisms like the NCAP adheres with “transparency, legality, and fairness to all road users.”
“It is the duty of the House of Representatives to ensure that any traffic enforcement mechanism, especially one as pervasive and automated as NCAP, adheres to the principles of transparency, accountability, legality, and fairness to all road users,” he noted.
This is not the first time that lawmakers raised concerns about the return of the NCAP. On Monday, Senate President Francis Escudero and Senator Grace Poe urged MMDA to ensure that concerns with the NCAP are addressed first.
According to Escudero, the evidence presented to back-up a traffic citation must be clear, and traffic rules and signages must be visible enough for motorists. Furthermore, the Senate President feared that the slow delivery of NOVs — which were sent through snail mail — would delay and prevent a motorist from mounting any strong appeal to the infraction.
READ: Escudero, Poe urge MMDA to address concerns with NCAP
With the lifting of the restraining order, the NCAP system will resume over areas it covered before, like the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, C-5 Road, Katipunan Avenue, Marcos Highway, Roxas Boulevard, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon Avenue, West Avenue, E. Rodriguez Avenue, and Buendia Avenue, starting Monday.
MMDA meanwhile assured that they will be fair in monitoring traffic violations, noting that the NCAP will not yet be enforced in some parts where traffic and road signs have not been fixed.
READ: MMDA vows fairness in ‘No-contact’ policy
Some of the areas where NCAP will not be implemented include portions of Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City which is still under rehabilitation. /jpv