House insists that number 8 plates on roads are 'unauthorized'
At A Glance
- House Secretary General Reginald Velasco has reiterated the House of Representatives' declaration from November last year that it has not authorized the use of no.8 protocol plates for congressmen.
House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco has reiterated the House of Representatives' declaration from November last year that it has not authorized the use of no.8 protocol plates for congressmen.
This, after traffic authorities apprehended a vehicle with a no.8 plate for entering the EDSA busway on Thursday morning, April 11. Obviously, this was a big no-no.
"The House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, reiterates that it has not authorized the use of official plates for vehicles of House members in the current 19th Congress," Velasco said in a statement on late afternoon Friday, April 12.
"The House has an existing agreement with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), wherein drivers found using plates with the number '8' will be apprehended, and such plates will be confiscated promptly," shared the House official.
He stressed that such plates "hold no official sanction from the House and are not to be considered legitimate".
READ THIS:
https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/15/house-hasn-t-issued-solons-number-8-plates-says-official
Velasco says that the unauthorized and illegal use of special plates "is a matter that should not be tolerated, as it poses a threat to public safety and undermines the integrity of the vehicle registration system".
"We urge all individuals to comply with the law and refrain from engaging in such activities. We expect all members (congressmen) to uphold the highest standards of integrity and adherence to the law," he said.
"We remain committed to ensuring accountability and transparency within the House of Representatives, and we appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved in upholding the rule of law," Velasco further said.
The driver of the vehicle with the no.8 plate reportedly sped off.
The protocol plate issue came up even as the Marcos administration acknowledged the negative impact of the perennial heavy traffic on the Philippine economy.