EDITORIAL – VIP plates

Land transportation and law enforcement officials started looking into the issuance of “8” license plates shortly after the bomb explosion at the House of Representatives that killed Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar in November last year. A raid on a safehouse of the suspects yielded such license plates.

The other day the Land Transportation Office appealed to the House leadership to recall all “8” plates that do not bear the name of the congressional district. The LTO should also ask for a regular update on those entitled to the congressional protocol plates, to make sure that only incumbent legislators are using the plates. The LTO chief explained that traffic enforcers are reluctant to apprehend drivers of vehicles with the congressional protocol plates when they violate traffic rules. Speaker Prospero Nograles responded yesterday by advising the LTO to just do its job.

That’s a reasonable advice, but not easily carried out. The LTO had a more realistic assessment of the situation. When a traffic aide sees a convoy of private vehicles approaching at top speed, sirens wailing and blinkers on, and the only explanation for possession of those devices is an “8” license plate on the lead car, the traffic aide will not bother pulling over the convoy even if it violates every traffic rule. If he does his job, he risks being scolded by a lawmaker who thinks he or she is above the law, or even by a lawmaker’s spouse, child or mistress.

If this is truly a mere problem of lax law enforcement, the LTO and traffic cops should test the resolve of congressmen to uphold the rule of law. They should start apprehending the driver of any vehicle with congressional protocol plates that beats a red light, makes an illegal turn or goes against traffic on a one-way street. They should not accept an explanation that the lawmaker in the vehicle is late for an official appointment; he should be advised to take a cab if he’s in too much of a hurry. If something like this ever happens and the apprehending traffic cop is not demoted, suspended or fired for doing his job, then both the House and traffic managers deserve the public’s commendation.