Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES

Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill pe

Introduced by Honorable REYNALDO V. UMALI

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Under Article Il, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, the prime duty of
the Government is to serve and protect the people. This entails the
maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty and property,
and promotion of the general welfare for the enjoyment of the people.

Various reports indicate that there had been an increase in the
number of killings committed by persons on board a motorcycle or scooter
and riding in tandem. There are even perpetrators who used motorcycles or
scooters as a “getaway vehicles” to enable swift escape. Due to the decrease
in the selling price of motorcycles and scooters in the market, it has become
readily available and accessible to any person especially those intending to
use it as a getaway vehicle after committing a crime.

This bill seeks to dissuade the crimes committed with the use of
motorcycles or scooters by requiring bigger size for plate numbers and
identification marks and by punishing the commission of a crime through or
with a back rider on motorcycles or scooters. By increasing the size and
visibility of motorcycle and scooter plate numbers, it will aid witnesses


and/or law enforcers to read the plate numbers from a distance to properly
identify motorcycle riders.

In view of thereof, carly consideration and approval of this bill is
earnestly sought.

lON. REYNALDO V. UMALI
tepresentative
2nd District, Oriental Mindoro


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES

Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No, 5839

Introduced by Honorable REYNALDO V. UMALI

AN ACT
PENALIZING AND PREVENTING THE USE OF MOTORCYCLES OR
SCOOTERS IN THE COMMISSION OF CRIMES THROUGH THE USE OF
BIGGER PLATE NUMBERS AND IDENTIFICATION MARKS,
REGULATION OF BACKRIDERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Motorcycle
Crime Prevention Act of 2017".

Sec. 2. State Policy. - Article Il, Section 5 of the 1987 Philippine
Constitution provides that the maintenance of peace and order, the
protection of life, liberty, and property, and the promotion of the general
welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of
democracy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to secure and
safeguard its citizenry from the ruinous and extremely injurious effects of
crimes and fatal accidents, particularly those caused by motorcycles and
scooters.

Sec.3. Definition. - As used in this Act, the following terms are defined:

(a) "Plate number” refers to the regular motor vehicle license plate
issued by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) bearing the
standard alphanumeric characters in accordance with Batas
PambansaBig. 43 and 74.

(b) “Backrider” refers to any person seated at the back of the
motorcycle or scooter driver, or a passenger of his driver.

(c) “Riding-in-tandem” refers to the combination of a driver and his
backrider/s or passenger/s riding a motorcycle or scooter.

Sec. 4. Bigger Plate Number. - The Land Transportation Office (LTO) shall
issue bigger plate number sizes for every motorcycle and scooter which must

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be placed both in the front and rear part of the motorcycle. It shall be made
of aluminum plate applied with reflectorized paint, and with alphanumeric
characters in large and readable font. There must be a plate number both at
the front and back parts of the motorcycle or scooter, the dimensions of
which should be big enough for the plate numbers to be readable from a
distance of between twelve (12) to fifteen (15) meters.

The LTO shall devise a color scheme of the plate numbers for every
region in the country to easily identify where such motorcycle was
registered. It shall also devise an alphanumeric system, with as few
characters as possible, for easier identification and recollection by the
general public, whether day or night.

In the foregoing, the LTO shall provide every region and all its local
government units a list of all the newly purchased and previously purchased
registered motorcycles or scooters in its jurisdiction which includes, but are
not limited to the following information: name of registered owner, his
driver’s license number, his address and contact details, vehicle
identification number, plate number, body color, brand/maker. For these
purposes, the LTO shall maintain a computerized database of all the
information collected to facilitate information retrieval, as the case may
arise.

Furthermore, the LTO in every region shall require the registration of
every motorcycle or scooter which shall undergo transfer of ownership
within two (2) days after such transfer, whether the motorcycle or scooter is
newly assembled, rebuilt, or acquired from a registered owner.

Sec. 5. Driving Without a Plate Number or a Bigger Plate Number. —
Driving without a plate number or a bigger plate number, as provided in
Sec. 4, is prohibited. The motorcycle or scooter used without bigger plate
numbers shall be confiscated by the LTO until a bigger plate is issued.

Sec. 6. Penalty for Use of the Motorcycle or Scooter in the Commission
of a Crime. - If the motorcycle or scooter is used in the commission of a
crime or to ensure a quick escape from the scene of the crime, as witnessed
by another person, and a victim dies as a result of this illegal use of a
motorcycle or scooter, the motorcycle driver, his backrider/s, if any, and
conspirators, shall be punished by reclusion perpetua. If the victim suffers
serious physical injury, or there was shooting or stabbing of the victim
committed by the driver or backrider/s of the motorcycle or scooter which
did not result in death, the penalty shall be reclusion temporal unless a
higher penalty is imposed due to the commission of some other crime, in
which case, the higher penalty shall be applied. In all other cases, the use
of the motorcycle or scooter in the commission of a crime shall increase the

penalty for the crime by one degree.

If the motorcycle or scooter used in the commission of a crime was
stolen, or the licensed plate used is mismatched from the vehicle


registration of the motorcycle or scooter, and the crime results in the death
of the victim, the penalty is life imprisonment.

The motorcycle or scooter used in the commission of a crime shall be
confiscated and forfeited in favor of the Government, unless it be the
property of a third person not liable for the offense.

‘The vehicle shall be impounded pending investigation and shall be in
custodialegis, and no bond shall be admitted for the release of the same
until the final decision of acquittal is promulgated by the trial court which
hears the criminal case involving the use of the impounded motorcycle or
scooter. The motorcycle or scooter shall be confiscated and forfeited after
conviction in the trial court where the appropriate criminal case was filed. If
there is an acquittal, the vehicle shall be returned to its registered owner.

Sec. 7. Penalizing Commission of a Crime Through or With a
Backrider/s on Motorcycles or Scooters. - Persons committing a crime
through or with a backrider/s shall be punished with the penalty of life
imprisonment.

City or municipal ordinances prohibiting or regulating backriders in
motorcycles or scooters shall apply in the city or municipality or local
government unit where the same is prohibited or regulated, provided these
are not inconsistent with this law.

Sec. 8. Loss of Bigger Plate Number. - If for some reason, the bigger plate
number of a motorcycle or scooter is lost or stolen, the registered owner of
such motorcycle, or his authorized representative, must immediately report
to the LTO the incident within three (3) calendar days from the date of loss,
and shall apply for a new license plate.

The motorcycle with a lost or stolen plate whose owner has not
formally reported the loss thereof to the LTO within the time provided in the
previous paragraph shall be impounded inside the designated impounding
areas of the LTO until a new plate is issued. The LTO may charge a
reasonable daily fee against the registered owner of the motorcycle or
scooter which has been impounded under this section.

Sec. 9. Implementation. - The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and
LTO are mandated to issue pertinent guidelines to implement the provisions
of this Act.

Sec. 10. Other Penalties. -
(a) Non-compliance with the use of the bigger plate numbers shall
result to the revocation of the registration of the motorcycle or
scooter for a period of at least one (1) year, and confiscation of the
driver's license of the driver thereof, or in the absence of the driver,
the registered owner thereof for a period of at least one (1) year,
and a fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00) but
not more than Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00).


(b) Tampering, alteration, forgery or imitation of the bigger plate
number shall be punished with a fine of not less than Twenty
Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) but not more than Fifty Thousand
Pesos (P50,000.00).

(c) If the registered owner of the motorcycle or scooter fails to timely
report to the LTO the loss of his bigger license plate, he or she shall
be punished with a fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos
(P10,000.00) but not more than Twenty Thousand Pesos
(P20,000.00).

Sec. 11. LTO Operations Center. — Within six (6) months from the
implementation of this Act, the LTO shall create and establish an Operations
Center (Center) which shall be operational twenty-four (24) hours and seven
(7) days a week for a faster and focused process in reporting vehicle-related
accidents and any other incidents.

Sec, 12. Appropriation. - The amount needed for the initial implementation
of this Act shall be taken from the current fiscal year’s appropriation of the
Department of Transportation. Thereafter, the amount needed for the
operation and maintenance shall be included in the General Appropriations
Act.

Sec. 13. Repeating Clause.— All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations
or other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 14. Separabitity Clause. — If any portion or provision of this Act is
declared unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not
affected thereby shall remain in force and effect.

Sec. 15. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days
following the completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in
a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

Adopted.