MANILA, Philippines: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued an executive order to regulate the issuance of protocol license plates to government officials amid increasing complaints on proliferation and unauthorized use.
The President, through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, signed on March 25 Executive Order (EO) 56, amending EO 400 (s. 2005) that authorized the assignment and issuance of low-numbered protocol license plates to vehicles used by government officials.
"It has been observed that complaints about the proliferation and unauthorized use of protocol license plates continue to increase over the years, threatening public safety and undermining the integrity of the vehicle registration system," the President said in his order.
On the list are the President with number one designation; Vice President, two; Senate President, three; Speaker of the House of Representatives, four; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, five; Cabinet Secretaries, six; Senators, seven; and Members of the House of Representatives, eight; and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, nine.
The Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals (CA), Court of Tax Appeals (CTA), Sandiganbayan, and Solicitors General were given number 10 designation; the chairman of Constitutional Commission and Ombudsman, 11; and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Chief of the Philippine National Police, 14.
The President said that the use of protocol license plates by authorized officials were upon the recommendation of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), approval of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DoTr), and based on the list of all officials with equivalent rank as the above authorized officials of the Department of Budget and Management.
Although the Associate Justices of the CA, CTA and Sandiganbayan may be allowed to use protocol license plates upon LTO's recommendation and transportation secretary's approval, this shall not be "construed to authorize all other officials with equivalent rank as the Associate Justices of the CA, CTA and Sandiganbayan and below to use protocol license plates," he said.
Marcos also said that the protocol license plates issued to authorized officials shall only be valid during their incumbency and be used for motor vehicles duly registered in their name or officially assigned to them.
The plates, he said, shall be surrendered to LTO upon retirement, resignation, separation from office, or end of term or tour of duty.
"All previously-issued protocol license plates issued pursuant to EO No. 400, as amended, except those issued to incumbent authorized officials under Section 1 hereof, are deemed expired," the President said.
"The LTO in coordination with concerned agencies, is hereby directed to revoke and/or confiscate all expired protocol license plates, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations," he added.
The President said that the authorized officials shall only be allowed with a maximum of two pairs of protocol license plates while the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may be allowed a maximum of three pairs.
"The assignment and/or transfer of protocol license plates to unauthorized persons or motor vehicles is strictly prohibited that once violated shall be subjected to revocation of the granted authority, confiscation of issued protocol license plates, imposed with appropriate penalty, including administrative sanction, pursuant to existing laws, rules and regulations," Marcos said.
In issuing the order, the President directed the DOTr to develop and maintain a registry of protocol license plates issued to all authorized government officials or motor vehicles.
The DOTr and LTO are also ordered to implement guidelines that will not in any way expand the list of officials authorized to use protocol license plates.
EO 56, which was made public on Thursday, will take effect immediately after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.