LTO releases IRR for Motorcycle Crime Prevention Law

Seemingly in response to Senator Richard Gordon castigating the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for its failure to release the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Law, which he authored,the LTO has finally released it, over a year after it was signed into law. 

The IRR states that the initial registration of the motorcycle shall be made within five days from its date of sale, and if resold by the owner, should be reported to the LTO within three days by presenting the original copy and a photocopy of its Deed of Sale.

As for its license plate, the IRR states that the number plate should be displayed at the rear while a decal of it will be displayed at the front. The size of the aluminum and reflectorized rear plate measures 235mm in width and 135mm in height, with the font size of its alphanumeric characters being 60mm tall while the decal plate in front is basically a reflectorized sticker measuring 135mm in width and 85mm in height, with the alphanumeric characters being 40mm tall.

According to the IRR, the contents of the plates--both front and back--should be readable by 15 meters.

Nased on the IRR, the plates will utilize a color scheme, with the color being based on the type if motorcycle.  

• Private motorcycles will have a white background with color stripe and black akphanumeric characters;
• Public utility motorcycles will have a yellow background with black akphanumeric characters;
• Government motorcycles will have a white background and red akphanumeric characters; and
• Giplomatic motorcycles will have a white background and blue akphanumeric characters.

As for the color stripe to be used on private motorcycles, it will depend on where its registration papers was issued:

Region	Color Stripe Placement
	Top	Bottom
NCR	White
CAR	Pink
1	Green
2	Red
3	Blue
4A	Purple
4B	Orange
5	Gray
6		Purple
7		Orange
8		Green
9		Red
10		Gray
11		Blue
12		Brown
CARAGA		Pink

As for the corresponding penalties, the IRR states that failure to register the motorcycle within the prescribed five days, or to immediately report its resale, shall be penalized with arresto mayor or prision correccional as defined in the Revised Penal Code or fined not less than P20,000 but mot more than P50,000.

If an unregistered motorcycle is used to commit a crime, the maximum penalty of offense shall be imposed on the offenders. If death or serious physical injuries results from the unlawful use of a motocycle--registered or not--the penalty is reclusion perpetua as prescribed in the Revised Penal Code.

As for driving without a plate--or a readable plate--the driver will be punished by  prision correccional as defined in the Penal Code or fined not less than P50,000 but not more than P100,000.

In addition, a motorcycle without without a plate--or a readable plate--will be stopped and seized by law-enforcement authorities and surrendered to the Philippine National Police (PNP) within 24 hours. Also, any seized motorcycle that is not surrendered to the PNP within 24 hours, its apprehending law-enforcement officer shall be punished with prision correccional as defined in the Revised Penal Code.

If the number plate is lost, damaged, or stolen, it shall be reported within 24 hours to the joint LTO and PNP Operations and Control Center and, within 72 hours, the owner shall submit a duly-notarized affidavit to the nearest LTO office. Failure to do so and the motorcycle owner will be fined not less than P20,000 but not more than P50,000. If the lost, damaged, or stolen number plate is used to commit a crime, failure to report it within three days shall subject the motorcycle owner to arresto mayor or prision correccional.

As for erasing, tampering, altering, forging. imitating. forging or concealing a number plate, the motocycle owner will be punished with prision mayor or fined not less than P50,000 but not more than P100,000.