Photo Release

Pimentel amendment to increase penalties: Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, during the period of amendment to Senate Bill No. 2555 or An Act Amending Republic Act No. 11235, otherwise known as the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, proposes to increase penalties for certain violations provided in the bill. Pimentel sought to increase the penalty to P10,000 from P5,000 for failure of the owner to report lost, damaged or stolen number plate or RFID sticker. The minority leader also proposed to increase the penalty to P20,000 from P10,000 for the crime of erasing, tampering, forging, covering or concealing a number plate. “To discourage the act that we want to penalize, we increase the fine... there is really a clear intent to violate the law, that's why we make the penalty graver,” Pimentel explained. The amendments were later accepted by the sponsor of the bill, Majority Leader Francis “Tol” N. Tolentino. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)