President Duterte has ordered the deferment of the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act after considering the people's plight amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Malacañang said Thursday.
(SIMEON CELI / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Duterte also ordered the suspension of the implementation of the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) after complaints from legislators and citizen groups regarding its expensive charge on the yearly vehicle registration.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the announcement following the wide public criticism on the said law that requires private motorists to use car seats for children younger than 12 years old and below 4'11" to protect them in case of a crash.
"Nagdesisyon na po ang ating Presidente. Ipinagpaliban po o deferred ang pagpapatupad o implementasyon ng child car seats (The President decided to defer the implementation of the child car seat law)," Roque said Thursday, February 11.
"Binalanse ng Pangulo ang pinagdadaanan ng ating mga kababayan sa gitna ng krisis na nararanasan... dahil nga po sa COVID-19 at African Swine Flu (The President balanced the plight of the people amid a crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the African Swine Flu)," he said.
Last week, President Duterte's long-time aide Senator Christopher Go said the President does not want the law to be implemented at a time when people are suffering due to the pandemic.
"He said not this time, it is not the time to implement this law. Filipinos are facing a lot of hardship, let us not make things harder for them," Go said.
Congressmen were likewise mulling the passage of a measure that would allow Duterte to suspend the implementation of the said law that took effect on February 2.
Motor vehicle inspection
The suspension of the implementation of the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) was also announced after complaints of some solons and sectors regarding its expensive charge on the yearly vehicle registration.
"Hindi na po mandatory ang MVIS (The MVIS is no longer mandatory)," Roque said.
"Kinakailangan wala pong bagong singil, walang karagdagang singil para sa pagpaparehistro ng mga sasakyan (There should be no new or additional charge during vehicle registration)," he added.
The implementation of the MVIS has faced criticism due to supposed malpractice, calibration errors, and other undesirable occurrences.