~.:§ e tl ,;i t r-
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF TI-IE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
) 
) 
"I (01";:1' Ilf tiH' ~'\'H ... bru 
. 
., 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
s.No.Jaa46 
'j 4 AUG -6 P 2 :06 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
AUTHORIZING THE LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE (LTO) TO SUSPEND A 
PERSON'S DRIVER'S LICENSE SUBJECT TO AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT OF 
ARREST 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article 3, Section 6 of the Constitution proscribes the impairment of the right to 
travel "except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health, as may 
be provided by law." 
In the Philippines, we have a very high number of outstanding warrants and there 
is a need to impose restrictions on persons with outstanding warrants, such as prohibiting 
renewal of one's driver's license, to compel them to submit to the jurisdiction of the 
court. An outstanding arrest warrant is an arrest warrant that has not been served. A 
warrant may be outstanding if the person named in the warrant is intentionally evading 
law enforcement, is unaware that a warrant is out for himmer, the agency responsible for 
executing the warrant has a backlog of warrants to serve, or a combination of these 
factors. 
This bill authorizes the Land Transportation Office to suspend a person's driver's 
license subject to an outstanding warrant of arrest. 
~~-:t~ 
MIRIAM DEF~SOR tANTrtGO 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF TI-IE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator 1\1iriam Detensor Santiago 
1 
AN ACT 
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AUG -6 P 2 :06 
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AUTHORIZING TI-lE LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE (LTO) TO SUSPEND A 
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PERSON'S DRIVER'S LICENSE SUBJECT TO AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT OF 
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ARREST 
Be it enacted in the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in the 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Declaration of policy. - The State upholds the right of persons to 
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travel, except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health. The State 
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likewise recognizes the necessity of regulating such a right in order to ensure that the 
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authority of its institutions to enforce the law and prosecute offenders is not negated by 
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loss o[jurisdiction. 
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SECTION 2. Suspension of licenses subject to an outstanding warrant of arrest. 
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- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the L TO Commissioner shall have the 
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power to revoke the license to drive a motor vehicle or motorcycle of any person against 
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whom a warrant of arrest is outstanding. The Commissioner is directed to develop and 
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establish a program and procedure which will allow the immediate denial of a license 
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because a person has an outstanding warrant of arrest. Such a program shall be designed 
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in such a manner that upon filing an application for a license, the license will be denied to 
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such person or where a license has been granted, the right thereto shall be suspended 
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upon notice that such an outstanding warrant in fact exists. 


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SECTION 3. Access to record~ of all outstanding warrants of arrest. - As part of 
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such program, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) shall explore the feasibility of 
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providing general computer access to all outstanding warrants of arrest to the LTO. 
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SECTION 4. Notice Requirement. - A person shall receive notice that the license 
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shall be suspended in ninety (90) days due to an outstanding warrant unless such person 
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furnishes proof to the Commissioner that such warrant has been recalled or fails to exist. 
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A license may be restored by the direction of the Commissioner upon such person 
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furnishing sufficient proof that the warrant has been recalled. 
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SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. -- All laws, orders, Issuances, rules and 
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regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
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repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any part of this Act is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the other Palts or provisions thereof not affected shall remain valid and 
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effective. 
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SECTION 7. FjJectivity.- This Act shall take effect fifteen (\5) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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