Photo credit: Senate PH

Senator Francis "Tol" Tolentino pushed for the amendments to Republic Act 11235, also known as the "Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act" or the "Doble Plaka" Law. The senator introduced Senate Bill No. 159 during the Senate Plenary Session on Monday.

RA 11235, enacted in March 2019 with the objective of preventing the use of motorcycles in crimes by requiring two plates, faced indefinite suspension in April 2019 due to the uproar from motorcycle riders.

Senator Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Justice Panel, emphasized that his proposed amendments aim to address key concerns, including the registration of motorcycles using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) instead of the double plate and proposing more reasonable penalties.

During the session, Senator Tolentino expressed his concern about the discriminatory nature of RA 11235 and the distress it caused with its suspended implementation, particularly affecting innocent riders. He remarked, "Sa pagnanais nating masugpo ang kriminalidad sa bayan, tila nakalimutan nating bigyan ng halaga ang ating mga kababayang riders."

The senator underscored the need for a "careful balancing" act, citing data from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) indicating that out of over 1.4 million motorcycles in the Philippines, only 132 were reportedly used in crimes from January to October 2023.

"A careful balancing is needed to address the legitimate concerns of the innocent riders," Sen. Tol noted, adding, "Panahon na para bigyan natin ng kapayapaan ang ating mga kapatid at kababayan na gumagamit ng motorsiklo."

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Joel Villanueva, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, JV Ejercito, and Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. expressed their intent to become co-authors of Senator Tolentino's bill, highlighting the bipartisan support for the proposed amendments to the "Doble Plaka" Law.