Press Release
August 23, 2008

PIMENTEL SAYS GOVT SHOULD RECALL LOW-NUMBERED CAR PLATES

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said the government should recall all low-numbered protocol or courtesy car plates issued to high-ranking public officials except those for the president and the vice president of the Republic and ambassadors of foreign countries.

Pimentel asked Congress to pass his bill prohibiting the issuance of low-numbered car plates and canceling those already issued to senators, congressmen and Cabinet members all the way to bureau directors.

He revived the proposal in the wake of allegations by Asst. Transportation Secretary and Land Transportation Office chief Alberto Suansing about traffic accidents involving vehicles of congressmen with low-numbered car plates.

Pimentel lamented that unscrupulous public officials have the mistaken notion that the low-numbered car plates gives them a license to break or disregard traffic rules.

"Many high-ranking government officials and middle-class bureaucrats today roam our streets like members of royalty in heavily-tinted vehicles sporting low-numbered plates. They evoke a false impression that these favored few are exempt and insulated from the reach of traffic rules and regulations," he observed.

The senator from Mindanao said there is no legitimate reason for these government executives to be accorded this kind of special privilege which he said only "smacks of delusions of grandeur."

"Since they are public servants, they should set the example in observing road regulations that are followed by all," he said.

Under the Pimentel bill, the official vehicles of the President and those of representatives of foreign states, as provided by any treaty, agreement or protocol sanctioned by international law or practice shall be exempt from the ban on the use of protocol plates. But these exemptions shall not apply to representatives of foreign states or international organizations that do not grant similar privilege to Filipino diplomatic officials.

The bill, which was originally filed nine years ago, provides that any person driving cars with unauthorized low-numbered plates shall, upon inspection, be fined a minimum of 10,000 to a maximum of P50,000 or imprisoned for a minimum of one month and one day and a maximum of six months.

News Latest News Feed