The Senate Blue Ribbon committee on Thursday asked Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade and Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Edgar Galvez to appear and explain their failure to implement the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Law.
The law, Republic Act 11235, directs the government to enlarge the registration plates of motorcycle and color-code them to be easily seen by the public.
Senator Richard J, Gordon, committee chairman, decided to undertake ‘’moto propio’’ a hearing and asked the two transportation officials to appear before his committee upon learning that there are very few ‘’enlarged’’ plates ordered manufactured by LTO.
Gordon said he would ask Tugade and Galvez to explain why they should not be held liable for malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance for not enforcing the law.
In today’s hearing by the Senate justice and human rights committee that he also heads, Gordon noted that there are still many killings by persons riding in tandem or riding in trio.
Gordon said crimes could easily be solved because there is a fast identification of motorcycles with bigger plates.
He said LTO is ‘’nakakahiya’’ (shameful) and asked whether it is a ‘’do nothing agency.’’
Gordon was apparently irked by the failure of Galvante to appear during the committee hearing today on the country’s high crime rate.