Press Release
March 15, 2019

GORDON LAUDS ENACTMENT OF BIGGER, READABLE AND COLOR-CODED MOTORCYCLE NUMBER PLATES LAW

Saying it is time to take a bite out of crimes, especially crimes brazenly committed by riding-in-tandem criminals, Senator Richard J. Gordon hailed the enactment into law of Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.

"I thank the President for signing my proposed measure into law. This law aims to stop criminals from perpetrating crimes with impugnity on board motorcycles or using motorcycles as get-away vehicles," he said.

"Criminals on board motorcycles have really become so bold and fearless. They kill with impunity in broad daylight and even along very busy thoroughfares such as EDSA! Hence, it is high time that we take a bite out of these crimes by imposing bigger plate numbers on motorcycles so that riding-in-tandems will no longer get away easily after committing a crime," the chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights added.

Gordon is the principal author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1397 that President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed into law last March 8, 2019.

The law aims to deter, if not totally stop, crimes perpetrated by criminals on board motorcycles by enabling witnesses to read the plate numbers when a crime had been committed.

The proposed measure mandates the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to issue bigger, readable and color-coded number plates to every motorcycle and scooter in the country which must be placed on both front and rear parts of the motorcycle. Motorcycles travelling without number plates will also be flagged down.

It also proposes to sanction owners of motorcycles used in the perpetration of crimes with fines and jail terms. Should a motorcycle, used in committing a crime, turn out to be stolen or owned by another person other than the perpetrator of the crime and the owner failed to report the loss immediately, he or she will also be meted similar sanctions.

Based on records from the Philippine National Police, an average of four people is killed each day by riding-in-tandem shooters. Of the total of 28,409 motorcycle riding crimes or incidents reported from 2010 to 2017, 13,062 or 46% of which were shooting incidents.

The same records showed that out of over 4,000 motorcycle riding crimes or incidents in 2016, only eight cases (0.18%) were solved

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