Manila: The Senate and House of Representatives panels on Tuesday approved the bicameral conference committee report on the amendments to Republic Act (RA) 11235, known as the ‘Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act’ or the ‘Doble Plaka Law,’ with a focus on streamlining motorcycle safety measures and penalties.
According to Philippines News Agency, the reconciled bill, titled ‘An Act Rationalizing the Safety Measures and Penalties Relative to the Operation of Motorcycles,’ addresses key concerns such as reducing the requirement for two license plates to one and adjusting penalties to more reasonable levels.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino announced the development after the bicameral meeting, highlighting the collaboration between the Senate and the House of Representatives. “We have just approved the bicameral conference committee report… Nagsanib na po ang House rito at Senate panels para maayos po yung (The House and Senate panels combined to fix the) ‘Doble Plaka Law,'” Tolentino said, thanking fellow lawmakers, including Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito and Ronald dela Rosa, and Representatives Romeo Acop and Jam Fortes, among others.
Ejercito noted that the primary amendment involves replacing the double-plate requirement with a single plate, addressing the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) backlog of 9 million plates. “What is very important is for all motor vehicles, specifically motorcycles, to have their plate numbers,” Ejercito said. He emphasized that crime prevention remains a priority, with penalties and imprisonment still enforced for the use of motorcycles in criminal activities.
The amendment also removes the requirement for radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, as the LTO reported challenges in implementation. “The LTO itself said that… the plate number alone is enough for enforcers to verify the identification of vehicles,” Ejercito added. Lawmakers acknowledged that the LTO faces distribution issues despite its ability to produce plates. The agency set a realistic completion target of June 30, 2025, for addressing the backlog.
Additionally, fines under the amended law have been reduced to more reasonable levels, moving away from the original penalties of PHP50,000 to PHP100,000, that were deemed excessive. For his part, Acop expressed gratitude for the cooperation between the two chambers. “We’re happy that at least we have come up with new legislation as far as the needs of the times are concerned,” the Antipolo City 2nd district lawmaker said. The reconciled bill is expected to be printed and submitted for final approval in the coming days.
