The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday warned the public against misinformation about the re-implementation of the Non-Contact Apprehension Program (NCAP) that resurfaced online.
MMDA said the recent social media posts and messages about the re-implementation of NCAP are fake and did not come from the agency.
“Don’t just believe the messages or posts you receive on social media. It is good to first find out the source of the information or verify the data that is read or received from legitimate sources,” the MMDA stated in its advisory.
The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the NCAP in August 2022 based on a consolidated case arising from separate petitions filed by four transport groups who said its implementation had been sloppy along with system glitches.
The MMDA urged the public, especially the motorists, to call the agency’s Hotline 136 or send a message to the MMDA official page on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for any concerns about the policy.
The agency also asked the people to be more responsible in sharing posts on social media, especially on Facebook where millions of people are active users.
It reminded the public that spreading lies would only cause panic among the people and would not help the efforts being done by government agencies, local government units, and other stakeholders.
Spreading false information carries the penalty of imprisonment from six months and one day to six years, the agency noted.
In November, MMDA chairman Don Artes asked the High Court to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO), saying the number of accidents has increased since the NCAP policy was suspended.
He explained the MMDA really needs this kind of technology (NCAP) to monitor and implement traffic rules and regulations on Metro Manila roads.
NCAP utilizes closed-circuit television cameras to capture videos and images to apprehend vehicles violating traffic laws, rules, and regulations.
With NCAP, the MMDA and the local government units can enforce traffic rules using traffic management technology, including advanced camera systems powered by computer vision artificial intelligence.