The registration papers of your motorcycles must soon be updated for you not to be penalized with the stipulations of the Republic Act No. 11235; otherwise known as the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act .
One of the things people do not love about this newly-signed law is the fact that it required motorcycles to have bigger license plates; this plan was seen as a relevant move in order to prevent crimes from happening involving two-wheeled vehicles.
Now, another implementation of this act states that all registration of motorcycles need to be replaced. This was as per the suggestion of the Land Transportation Office.
Section 4 of RA 11235 states that any transaction covering the disposition of a motorcycle will have to be reported to the Land Transportation Office (LTO); and as such if the owner fails to comply so, he/she may henceforth be penalized with a fine of P20,000 to P50,000.
However, there are such unfortunate cases that the new owner may not successfully transfer the new ownership of the motorcycle on time, and one of the contributing factors could be due to the original copy of the certificate of registration (CR) being lost.
Nonetheless, the LTO has provided the requirements needed to apply for a replacement or a duplicate copy of a lost CR; if such a case does happen.
Requirements Needed for the Replacement of LTO Registration A notarized affidavit that states of the original document being lost, stolen, or damaged. Actual inspection of the motor vehicle and duly accomplished Motor Vehicle Inspection Report (must be in stencil form) Two (2) valid primary IDs (government-issued) of the registered owner (photocopy with the original signature specimen). In the event that the motorbike is company-owned, a certification from the management would also be required; and If the owner is sending a representative to secure the document from the LTO on his behalf, he or she should prepare a duly signed authorization letter for this purpose. Read: Registration of Bicycles — Considered by the CCTO
Many people are thinking that it is a long and boring process. However, the LTO is working on improving it so that people would not have a hard time coping with the new way or the replacement of LTO registration.
It usually takes a while if the new owner expedites the process to the LTO branch in which the mother file of the CR was first issued. A longer process is due, however, if the new owner expedites the process in an LTO branch in Metro Manila and the mother file of the CR was issued in an LTO branch in a remote province. The official verification of the original document is required before the LTO can issue the new CR – so all motorcycle owners and vehicle owners need to keep this in mind.
Inside the Republic Act No. 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act The recently released Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for Republic Act No. 11235 was signed by Edgar Galvante the LTO Chief on May 11, 2020. The 13-page IRR is consisted of provisions that mandate motorcycle users upon using bigger, readable, and color-coded number plates (determined by region).
Read: International Travel Likely Not to Return until 2023
However bike owners were not asked to use a big front number plate made of metal as the riders’ community thought of it as unsafe; the LTO instead reinforced the usage of smaller front number stickers measuring 135mm by 85mm.
Bigger Plates Meanwhile, the plate for the bike’s rear section will be 235mm by 135mm, or slightly smaller than the European license plates, but bigger than the current motorcycle plates we have locally.
Nonetheless, critical provisions can be found in RA 11235 imposing heavy penalties and jail terms for violators like the provisions under Section 12; in which bike owners will face penalties with a fine of P20, 000 to P50, 000 if the owner fails to report within one (1) whole day or 24 hours that his number plate has been lost or stolen.
Read: A Guide to Renewing Motor Vehicle Registration (All Classifications)
In Section 13, a buyer of a motorbike with faded numbers on the place may face a jail term of prison mayor or a fine of P50, 000 to P100, 000.
Furthermore, under Section 14, riders proved to be guilty of using a stolen plate face either a jail term of prison mayor or a fine of P50, 000 to P100,000; or both as subjected to the court’s decision. Under Section 9, if failure to account for a seized motorcycle within 24 hours does happen, the owner may be penalized with a jail term of prison correctional that might be hand in hand with administrative charges. The list goes on.
However, Justitia Lex Machina, a organization of lawyers who are also passionate riders, filed a petition last year; they did it before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) critical of the constitutionality of the RA 11235. The case is still ongoing; and to tell you the truth, there are a lot of people who wish to change or revert this.
Read: LTO: List of Traffic Violations, Fines and Penalties
Many people believe that the instruction of having “bigger plates” is ridiculous; and it’s not going to be helpful in the situation.
The Current Situation As of today, there are over 12 million motorbikes that need this replacement of registration; in accordance to the likes and the needs of the people. So, if you are part of the demographic who is in need of help; there currently is a huge backlog and you need to attend to it as urgently as you can.
TopGear PH suggests that all people with backlogs should attend to this as soon as they can to avoid penalties. In addition to that, this is to avoid the procrastination that, surely, a lot of people will do.
Read: Free LTO Driver’s License Exam Reviewer with Answers included
Do you think the replacement of the LTO registration is justifiable? Likewise, what do you think of the penalties? Do you agree or beg to differ? The main goal of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act is to prevent crimes from happening; all in relation to motorcycle vehicles.
It is not, in anyway, intended to be a pain in the neck to motorcycle riders and owners; it’s set as a plan to help people out, especially those who have motorcycles to prevent stealing. Through the continuous and the constant improvement of the system, in 2017, the PNP reported that motorcycle theft dramatically decreased 50% since the implementation of the ancestors of this law.
The best way to do now is to follow the Philippine government. So that we can expect a pristine and safe environment for each and every Filipino.
Source/s: Top Gear PH
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