Parañaque cracks down on drunk driving

Parañaque City will now be cracking down on drunk driving with traffic enforcers being equipped with "portable breath analyzers" that will enable them to find out if reckless drivers are under the excessive influence of liquor.

Mayor Joey Marquez said the city government recently purchased the breath exam kits from the United States and issued the kits to the Parañaque City police traffic division for use in implementing the program.

The mayor said the city council is now consiering the enactment of an ordinance that will provide traffic enforcers the authority to arrest drivers found with excessive alcohol content in their body.

The proposed ordinance, authored by Councilor Generoso Puzon, provides that drivers should not have more than .06 percent alcohol in their body when ordered to take the breath test.

Those found violating the ordinance will be fined P5,000 or imprisoned for 30 days on their first offense, P5,000 fine and imprisonment for 30 days if arrested for the second time.

Third-time offenders will be fined P5,000 and imprisoned for 30 days and a recommendation will be made to the Land Transportation Office to have their driver’s license revoked.

Parañaque City will be the first to implement the anti-drunk driving program in the country that has long been practiced in the United States and other countries, Marquez said.

The mayor said the need to implement the program became evident after the two separate vehicular accidents that happened last March along Coastal Road in Parañaque City wherein a total of 16 people died.

The program will focus on drivers of public utility vehicles, such as passenger jeepneys and buses and 10-wheeler cargo trucks, which figured in the two Coastal Road tragedies.