Duterte suspends vehicle inspection scheme

MANILA, Philippines — Amid mounting complaints, President Duterte ordered the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to suspend the mandatory conduct of the motor vehicle inspection system (MVIS), a requirement for the registration or renewal of vehicles.

“MVIS is no longer mandatory. That means there should be no additional collection of payments when you register your vehicles,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. confirmed yesterday.

Previously, vehicles being registered at the LTO were merely inspected for compliance with the Clean Air Act through a smoke emission test done by private emission testing centers (PETCs).

With the arrival of private motor vehicle inspections centers (PMVICs), vehicles must pass an automated three-stage system with 73 inspection points before being considered roadworthy and eligible.

Duterte also deferred the implementation of the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act or Republic Act 11229, which mandates that children should use car seats while inside cars and other vehicles.

“The President has decided to defer the implementation (the use of) child car seats,” Roque added.

Roque said the President is also banking on the Senate and the House of Representatives to follow through his lead by possibly amending the provisions of the new law on car seats and the MVIS.

Private inspectors lower rates

After the Palace announcement, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Assistant Secretary Giovanni Lopez said PMVICs would indefinitely lower their fees to the same rates being offered by PETCs, while collection of re-inspection fees will also be suspended for a year.

“After long negotiations and discussions, Secretary Art Tugade was able to convince the MVIC owners to level their charges with the current rates of PETC owners. In addition, there will also be no re-inspection fee for a period of one year,” Lopez said.

Adjusted PMVIC fees were pegged at P600 for light vehicles, P500 for motorcycles, and P300 for public utility jeepneys, according to Iñigo Larrazabal, president of the Vehicle Inspection Center Operators Association of the Philippines (VICOAP), a group of 80 PMVICs nationwide.

Bill still needed

On the other hand, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez reiterated that President Duterte still needs a bill from both houses of Congress for purposes of stopping the implementation of the controversial Child Car Seat Law.

“It’s Congress that passed the law (Republic Act 11229) requiring child car seats, and it’s Congress that can suspend its implementation,” Rodriguez said.

Rep. Ruffy Biazon pointed out that the implementing rules and regulations of the law definitely need fine-tuning.

“I support the initiative of the chair to have the implementation suspended but I also hope that the opportunity to review the IRR be taken while implementation is delayed,” Biazon said.

Senators welcome suspension

Meanwhile, senators welcomed the decision of the President to suspend the implementation of the MVIS and Child Car Seat Law.

“The lesson here is that before you ram through a rule that will force the people to pay, be sure to run it by the President first. Never pull a fast one,” Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said.

Sen. Joel Villanueva also welcomed the President’s decision, saying “Many will be glad that he did not let it through. Now let us take advantage of the pause ordered by President to perfect their implementation.”

Sen. Bong Go said he is thankful to the private operators of MVIS and Secretary Tugade for responding to the call not to increase the burden borne by the Filipino people while the situation is not yet normal.

“So despite improving mechanisms to ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles through this enhanced inspection system, they will push for a ‘pandemic special rate’ that will ensure that no unnecessary burden is imposed on ordinary Filipinos at this time,” Go said. — Delon Porcalla, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Richmond Mercurio