Gordon on Doble Plaka: Why is it still not enforced?

Senator Richard Gordon calls for the immediate implementation of Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act

Senator Richard Gordon has renewed the call for the immediate implementation of the Republic Act (RA) 11235, otherwise known as the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.

“The implementing rules and regulations [IRR] of the law is already there, why is it still not enforced?” said the Senator through a press release.

Gordon is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights and is also the principal author of the said law. In his statement, he stressed that time should not be wasted and the RA 11235 should be enforced immediately. The Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, which the motorcycle community simply refers to as the Doble Plaka Law imposes hefty fines specific to motorcycle riders of up to PhP100,000 and jail time of up to 6 years.

Based on the monitoring conducted by Gordon's office, there have been 112 victims of motorcycle-riding gunmen from January 1 to July 5. The latest of which was Executive Master Sergeant, Arnold Paclibar, in Sultan Kudarat and Aladdin Alon in Maguindanao. Both were killed while manning checkpoints in their areas on July 3.

On July 2, a 15-year old girl was also gunned down in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur while on her way home from the police station where she had just filed a molestation complaint against two policemen from the neighboring town of San Juan. The alleged riding-in-tandem suspects, however, were the same two policemen which the 15-year old victim filed a complaint against.

On a memo dated July 1, 2020, Land Transportation Office chief, Assistant Secretary, Edgar Galvante, ordered the suspension or deferment of the RA 11235’s plate number provisions until further notice. In the memo, he cited the agency’s limited capability to produce new motorcycle plates and process paperwork, brought about by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The provision for transfer of ownership and reporting of sale provisions were given a 60-day extension from the memo date.

On July 2, motorcycle rider group, Riders of the Philippines, has filed a case against the law with a regional trial court, citing that the law is unconstitutional. If the court agrees, it is hoped to issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against RA 11235.

“Ang pinalakihan ay 'yung plaka o number plate sa likod pero 'yung sa harap decal o sticker na ikakabit to fit the model of the motorcycle. Ang purpose nito ay para madaling matandaan ng mga saksi 'yung plate number ng motorsiklo kapag ginamit sa krimen. (What was made bigger was the rear plate number, while the front will only utilize a decal or sticker to fit the motorcycle’s model. The purpose is for witnesses to easily remember the plate number, if the motorcycle is used to commit a crime),” Gordon added.