Senate Majority Leader Francis "Tol" Tolentino (Tolentino's office)

Senate Majority Leader Francis "Tol" Tolentino has asked the Land Transportation Office (LTO) not to apprehend motorcycle riders and motorists for using temporary or improvised license plates. 

"Give motorcycle riders and motorists a break! Do not penalize them for using non-compliant temporary and improvised license plates. It's not their fault if the government cannot produce enough official plates," Tolentino said in a statement Saturday, Aug. 31. 

He said that fixing the backlog on the plates was actually LTO's responsibility. 

Tolentino is objecting to a directive from LTO that restricts the use of temporary and improvised license plates for motorcycles and motor vehicles. The directive will take effect on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. 

“I do not see the sense in apprehending and fining riders and motorists for using temporary plates that do not comply with the LTO’s directive. The LTO must first resolve its own backlog in issuing official license plates,” the senator explained. 

According to him, the LTO reported to the Senate that its backlog in issuing official license plates reached 12,548,909 laay February. 

Meanwhile, when the senator interviewed 1-Rider Party-List Rep. Bonifacio Bosita on his radio program, ‘Usapang Tol’ last Thursday, Aug. 29, the latter said that the license plates backlog currently stood at 9 million, citing an LTO source. 

Under the LTO’s VDM-2024-2721, “All motor vehicles and motorcycles using non-LTO issued plate number, except as authorized and specified by this Memorandum, shall be apprehended and the appropriate legal actions and penalties in accordance with existing laws and regulations shall be imposed.” 

The Senator advised the LTO to just wait for the President's signing of the measure he sponsored, Senate Bill (SB) No. 2555. 

The bill seeks to amend the controversial provisions of Republic Act (RA) No.11235, or the Doble Plaka Law, which discriminate against motorcycle riders and owners. 

Voting 22-0, the Senate unanimously approved SB No.2555 on third and final reading last July 29. Its counterpart in the House, according to Bosita, has hurdled the committee level and will soon be calendared in plenary for second and third reading.