Villar seeks establishment of transport safety agency

MANILA, Philippines - Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar is seeking the establishment of a transport safety agency as well as a system for the recall of brand new, but defective vehicles in the country.

Villar, chairman of the House Committee on Trade and Industry, made the proposal after the panel conducted an inquiry into the numerous claims and allegations of the so-called sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) by the Montero Sport, and the increasing number of vehicular accidents.

“In Japan, a recall system was established as early as 1969. The mechanism obliges manufacturers to collect and repair safety-deficient vehicles that are ‘perceived’ to have design flaws or manufacturing defects,” Villar said.

“While the defects have yet to be established, the manufacturers collect them to prevent further injury,” he said.

Replicating the standards set by neighboring Asean countries, he proposed a system that would require companies that have obtained information on structural defects to probe it and submit details of the investigation to the agency that would be created for such purpose.

“What the committee investigation highlighted at this stage, pending final resolution, is the lack of teeth in our current laws in addressing this problem,” he said.

He said under the Road Vehicles Law of Japan, automotive companies are fined up to 200 million yen for hiding safety defects and failing to recall the deficient vehicles or making false reports on vehicle defects.

“The same set of standard should be available to our consumers. Filipinos do not deserve anything less,” Villar said.

He said in the first half of 2015, the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group already reported that 567 persons died and 5,220 others were injured in 11,285 traffic accidents nationwide.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, chairman of the Committee on Metro Manila Development, made a similar proposal with the filing of a bill that seeks the creation of a National Automotive Safety Administration.

“It is incumbent upon the government to constitute an independent body in charge of the investigation of malfunctioning motor vehicles,” Castelo said.