P-Noy signs law vs drunk driving

MANILA, Philippines - Drivers who are drunk or high on drugs, beware.

President Aquino has signed into law a measure that would penalize drivers found to be driving under the influence of liquor or prohibited drugs with up to three months in prison and a fine of P80,000.

Republic Act 10586 or the “Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013” also imposes harsher penalties in cases of drunk or drugged drivers getting involved in accidents, especially if there are casualties.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte warned the public that those found to be violating the law, which will take effect 15 days after it is published in full in two daily newspapers of general circulation, will also have to pay more as consequences worsen.

There will be a maximum fine of P200,000 for physical injuries incurred in accidents, and P500,000 if such collision resulted in somebody’s death.

Jail terms would correspondingly increase as provided for in the Revised Penal Code.

Aside from these, the Land Transportation Office shall confiscate and suspend for 12 months the license of a non-professional driver for the first conviction. On second conviction the license would be perpetually revoked.

For professional drivers, their license would be confiscated and perpetually revoked for the first conviction, which shall be the basis to disqualify the driver from “being granted any kind of driver’s license thereafter.”

Refusal to comply with mandatory tests for field sobriety and drug tests will result in confiscation and automatic revocation of license, aside from “other penalties provided and/or other pertinent laws.”

These are on top of the other violations the driver might be held liable for under local ordinances.

The owner and/or operator of the offending vehicle, in case of vehicles for hire, will be just as “directly and principally (held) liable together with the offender for the fine and the award against the offender for civil damages.”

However, the operator of the vehicles for rent may be exculpated if he “has exercised extraordinary diligence in the selection and supervision of his drivers in general and the offending driver in particular.”

“Section 7 now mandates the mandatory alcohol and chemical testing of drivers involved in motor vehicular accidents, so that will now be a staple,” Valte told a news briefing in Malacanang, adding that a breathalyzer would be used to verify alcohol or drug consumption.

The LTO was also tasked to hold “nationwide random terminal inspection and quick random drug tests for all public utility drivers of delivery vans, cargo trucks, container trucks, school and company buses, hotel transports, cars or vans for rent taxicabs.”

Valte explained that Section 4 of the new law also provides for driver’s education to get a license as well as renewing license every three years.