SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
Senate.
of titf ftirfrpfarp
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MAR 15 
P 4  ^ 1
RECEIVED by:
S E N A T E
SENATE BILL NO.
1397
Prepared by the Committee on Justice and Human Rights with Senators Sotto III and Gordon as 
authors thereof
[TiTi
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 o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the "Motorcycle Crime
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Prevention Act of 2017".
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Sec. 2. State Policy. -  Article II, Section 5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution .
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provides that the maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and
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property, and the promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment
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by all the people of the blessings of democracy. It is hereby declared the policy of
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the State to secure and safeguard its citizenry from the ruinous and extremely
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injurious effects of crimes and fatal accidents, particularly those caused by
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motorcycles and scooters.
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Sec. 3. Definition. - As used in this Act, the following terms are defined:
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(a) 
"Plate number" refers to the regular m otor vehicle license plate issued 
by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) bearing the standard 
alphanumeric characters in accordance, with Batas Pambansa Big. 43
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and 74.
(b) "Backrider" refers to any person seated at the back of the motorcycle
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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
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issue bigger plate number sizes for every motorcycle and scooter which must be
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placed both in the front and rear part of the motorcycle. It shall be made of
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aluminum plate applied with reflectorized paint, and with alphanumeric characters in
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large and readable font. There must be a plate number both at the front and back
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parts of the motorcycle or scooter, the dimensions of which should be big enough for
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the plate numbers to be readable from a distance of between twelve (12) to fifteen
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(15) meters.
The LTO shall devise a color scheme of the plate numbers for every region in
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the country to easily identify where such motorcycle was registered. It shall also * .■
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devise an alphanumeric system, with as few characters as possible, for easier
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identification and recollection by the general public, whether day or night.
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In the foregoing, the LTO shall provide every region and all its local
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government units a list of all the newly purchasedVsnd previously purchased
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registered motorcycles or scooters in its jurisdiction which includes, but are not
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limited to the following information: name of registered owner, his driver's license
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number, his address and contact details, vehicle identification number,, plate
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number, body color, brand/maker. For these purposes, the .LTO shall maintain a
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computerized database of all the information collected to facilitate information
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retrieval, as the case may arise.
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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 W ithout a Plate Number or a Bigger Plate Number. -  Driving
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without a plate number or a bigger plate number, as provided in Sec. 4, is prohibited;
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The motorcycle or scooter used without bigger plate numbers shall be confiscated by
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the LTO until a bigger plate is issued.
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Sec. 6. Penalty fo r Use o f the Motorcycle or Scooter in the Commission o f a
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Crime. -  If the motorcycle or scooter is used in the commission of a crime or to
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ensure a quick escape from the scene of the crime, as witnessed by another person,
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and a victim dies as a result of this illegal use of a motorcycle or scooter, the
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motorcycle driver, his backrider/s, if any, and conspirators, shall be punished by
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reclusion perpetua. If the victim suffers serious physical injury, or there was shooting
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or stabbing of the victim committed by the driver or backrider/s of the motorcycle or
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scooter which did not result in death, the penalty shall be reclusion temporal unless a


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higher penalty is imposed due to the commission of some other crime, in which case,
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the higher penalty shall be applied. In all other cases, the use of the motorcycle or
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scooter in the commission of a crime shall increase the penalty for the crime by one
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degree.
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If the motorcycle or scooter used in the commission of a crime was stolen, or
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the licensed plate used is mismatched from the vehicle registration of the motorcycle
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or scooter, and the crime results in the death of the victim, the penalty is life 
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imprisonment
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The motorcycle or scooter used in the commission of a crime shall be
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confiscated and forfeited in favor of the Government, unless it be the property of a
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third person not liable for the offense.
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The vehicle shall be impounded pending investigation and shall be in custocJia
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legis, and no bond shall be admitted for the release of the same until the final
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decision of acquittal is promulgated by the trial court which hears the criminal case
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involving the use of the impounded motorcycle or scooter. 
The motorcycle or
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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.
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Sec. 7. Penalizing Commission o f 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.
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City or municipal 
ordinances 
prohibiting or regulating backriders 
in
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motorcycles or scooters shall apply in the city or municipality or local government
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unit where the same is prohibited or regulated, provided these are not inconsistent
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with this law.
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Sec. 8. Loss o f Bigger Plate Number. -  If for some reason, the bigger plate
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number of a motorcycle or scooter is lost or stolen, the registered owner of such
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motorcycle, or his authorized representative, must immediately report to the LTO
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the incident within three (3) calendar days from the date of loss, and shall apply for a
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new license plate.
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The motorcycle with a lost or stolen plate whose owner has not formally
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reported the loss thereof to the LTO within the time provided in the previous
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paragraph shall be impounded inside the designated impounding areas of the LTO
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until a new plate is issued.: The LTO may charge a reasonable daily fee against the
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registered owner of the motorcycle or scooter which has been impounded under this
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section.
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Sec. 9. Implementation. -  The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and LTO
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are mandated to issue pertinent guidelines to implement the provisions of this Act.
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Sec. 10. Other Penalties. -  
(a) Non-compliance with the use of the bigger plate numbers shall result t6
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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
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thereof, or in the absence of the driver, the registered owner thereof for a


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period of at least one (1) year, and a fine of not less than Ten Thousand
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Pesos 
(P10,000.00) 
but 
not 
more 
than 
Twenty Thousand 
Pesos
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(P20,000.00).
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(b) Tampering, alteration, forgery or imitation of the bigger plate number
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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 (PIO,000.00) but not more
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than Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00).
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Sec. 11. LTO Operations Center. -  W ithin six (6) months from the
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implementation of this Act, the LTO shall create and establish an Operations Center
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(Center) which shall be operational twenty-four (24) hours and seven (7) days a week
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for a faster and focused process in reporting vehicle-related accidents and any other
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incidents.
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Sec. 12. Appropriation. -  The amount needed for the initial implementation of
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this Act shall be taken from the current fiscal year's appropriation of the Department
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of Transportation. Thereafter, the amount needed for the operation and
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maintenance shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
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Sec. 13. Repealing Clause.-AW laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or
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other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent w ith the provisions of this Act are
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hereby repealed or modified accordingly.


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Sec. 14. Separability Clause. -  If any portion or provision of this Act is
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declared unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected
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thereby shall remain in force and effect.
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Sec. 15. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
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the completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of
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general circulation in the Philippines.
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Adopted.
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