Press Release
August 17, 2011

PENDING IRR BLOCKS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF HELMET LAW

Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. today expressed disgust over the long overdue release of the guidelines for the full implementation of Republic Act (RA) 10054 or the Mandatory Helmet Act of 2009, the law that he principally authored that obliges all motorcycle riders, including the backriders, to wear standard protective helmets.

According to the senator, it has been almost a year and a half since the enactment of RA 10054 yet the necessary Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) is still nowhere to be found. He said the lack of existing IRRs hinders the full implementation of the law and its noble purpose, which is to reduce the number of motorcycle-related accidents in the country. "I am continuously receiving reports and complaints that even with the enactment of RA 10054, law enforcers have been left toothless and weak in implementing the provisions of the Mandatory Helmet Act. The number of accidents involving motorcycles is still alarming and I firmly believe that proper enforcement of the law will greatly improve the safety of the public," he said.

He cited Section 6 of the RA10054 that mandates the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), with its attached agency, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), to issue guidelines necessary to implement the provisions of the law. The said provision also states that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Bureau of Products Standards (BPS), is mandated to utilize the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) protocols with regard to the standards that will be applicable to the approval or disapproval of motorcycle helmets that will be sold in the Philippines.

"The DTI, through the BPS, shall conduct a mandatory testing of all manufactured and imported motorcycle helmets in the country. This means all manufacturers and importers of standard protective motorcycle helmets are required to secure a Philippine Standard (PS) license or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) before they can sell and distribute their products," Bong Revilla further explained.

The lawmaker said he had already sent a message to DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo and newly-appointed DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas inquiring on the status of the DOTC-DTI Joint Administrative Order for the implementation of RA 10054. "In fairness to Secretary Roxas, the IRR should have been released even before he assumed office. The DTI and DOTC had all the time to finalize and review it prior to his appointment."

Bong Revilla further pointed out that the rising numbers of accidents involving motorcycles should be enough impetus for the speedy resolution of the IRR. "In the days that have passed with still no specific guidelines on the Mandatory Helmet Act, motorcycle accidents happened. Injuries could have been prevented and lives could have been saved," he added.

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