ASIDE from pursuing a policy against special No. 8 car plates for congressmen, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Monday he would support a proposed law prohibiting the issuance and use of the so-called “protocol plates” to members of the House of Representatives.
Alvarez said the only way to permanently prevent the issuance of such protocol plates is to legislate a law for the purpose or amend existing laws to prohibit lawmakers from using the said special plates.
“I would discourage it (issuance and use of Protocol Plate No. 8). We can amend the existing law (to effect this new policy),” Alvarez, representative of Davao del Norte, told a radio interview Monday, stressing that he himself has opted not to use the protocol plates because of the resulting security treat.
“There is already a bill filed in the House of Representatives seeking to prohibit the issuance and use of the number “8” protocol license plates on vehicles of congressmen. I will study the proposal and see if I can co-author the measure,” Alvarez said, referring to House Bill 413 filed by Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco.
In filing his measure, Tiangko acknowledged a constitutional provision that “public office is a public trust.” “Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice and lead modest lives,” he said.
Tiangco wanted the use of said plate to be stopped as this has been prone to abuse as “exhibited by individuals driving or using these vehicles, whether government officials or persons posing as such.”
Tiangco proposed stiffer penalties against violators, such as face a fine of P25,000 or imprisonment of one month and one day as minimum and six months as maximum
Alvarez favored the proposal of Tiangco, stressing there should be no special privilege nor special treatment to be extended to government officials.
“Why do we have to make a distinction between government officials or certain government officials? The law should apply to all. There should be no special privilege when it comes to issuance of vehicle license plates issued to all public officials. If one commits a traffic violation, then he or she must be apprehended,” Alvarez stressed.
Alvarez joked that members of the 17th Congress could not use the special plates merely because of the problem hounding the Land Transportation Office.
Alvarez had earlier instructed his colleagues and former lawmakers to return the protocol plates issued during the 16th Congress and previous Congress after receiving “reports that certain vehicles with Protocol Plate No. 8 have been spotted in indecent places or figured in crime-related activities.”
Alvarez’s order prompted Tiangco to urge the House leadership to prioritize the passage of his measure to put a stop to reported cases of abuses with regard to the use of the special vehicle license plates among lawmakers.
The memorandum noted that Secretary General Cesar Pareja said the House of Representatives got reports that the privilege of Protocol Plate No. 8 has been abused by some owners of vehicles with Protocol Plate No. 8.
“In view of this development, the Honorable Speaker has given instructions for the immediate recall of all protocol plates issued during the 16th Congress and earlier,” the memorandum said.