MANILA – Following increasing complaints of unauthorized usage, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the regulation of protocol license plates issued to government officials.
Executive Order (EO) No. 56, which amended EO No. 400 (s. 2005), cut the number of low-numbered protocol license plates to vehicles used by government officials from 16 to 14.
Part of the list are the President with number one designation; Vice President, two; Senate President, three; Speaker of the House of Representatives, four; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, five; Cabinet Secretaries, six; Senators, seven; and Members of the House of Representatives, eight; and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, nine.
The Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals (CA), Court of Tax Appeals (CTA), Sandiganbayan, and Solicitors General were given the number 10 designation; the chairpersons of Constitutional Commissions and Ombudsman, 11; and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Chief of the Philippine National Police, 14.
The EO also stated that the use of protocol license plates by authorized officials are upon the recommendation of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the approval of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and based on the list of all officials with equivalent rank as the above authorized officials of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Protocol license plates issued to authorized officials shall only be valid during their incumbency and be used for motor vehicles duly registered in their name or officially assigned to them.
“The plates shall be surrendered to LTO upon retirement, resignation, separation from office, or end of term or tour of duty,” Marcos said. “All previously-issued protocol license plates issued pursuant to EO No. 400, as amended, except those issued to incumbent authorized officials under Section 1 hereof, are deemed expired.”
Moreover, authorized officials shall only be allowed a maximum of two pairs of protocol license plates while the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may be allowed a maximum of three pairs.
Meanwhile, President Marcos also issued a separate EO that prohibits government officials and personnel from using sirens, blinkers, and other similar signaling devices which he said are causing traffic disruptions.
“It has been observed that the unauthorized and indiscriminate use of sirens, blinkers, and other similar signaling or flashing devices has been rampant, causing traffic disruptions and unsafe road and traffic environment,” Marcos said through Administrative Order No. 18.
The President stressed that the unauthorized and improper use of signaling or flashing devices by government officials and employees shall be dealt with in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
Exempted, however, are the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), fire trucks, hospital ambulances, and other emergency vehicles.
“In this light, all government officials and personnel are hereby reminded that use of sirens, dome lights, blinkers and other similar devices shall only be under exigent or emergency circumstances or situations or to ensure the expedient and safe passage of emergency responders,” Marcos said./PN
