Marcos wants regulated issuance of protocol license plates

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has directed the regulation of the issuance of protocol license plates to government officials due to increasing complaints of unauthorized usage. 

Marcos issued Executive Order (EO) No. 56, repealing EO No. 400 (s. 2005), which authorizes the assignment and issuance of low-numbered protocol license plates to vehicles used by government officials. 

The President also cut the number to 14 from the previous list of 16 officials who are entitled to use protocol license plates.

Part of the list is 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 number 10 designation; the Chairperson of Constitutional Commission 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 stated that the use of protocol license plates by authorized officials is 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).

It noted that although the Associate Justices of the CA, CTA, and Sandiganbayan are allowed to use protocol license plates upon LTO’s recommendation and transportation secretary’s approval, this shall not be “construed to authorize all other officials with equivalent rank as the Associate Justices of the CA, CTA and Sandiganbayan and below to use protocol license plates.”

The EO also said that the 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. 

Further, the plates shall be surrendered to LTO upon retirement, resignation, separation from office, or end of term or tour of duty.

“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. The LTO in coordination with concerned agencies, is hereby directed to revoke and/or confiscate all expired protocol license plates, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations,'' the EO stated. 

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.

The assignment and transfer of protocol license plates to unauthorized persons or motor vehicles is strictly prohibited, and once violated, it shall be subjected to revocation of the granted authority, confiscation of issued protocol license plates, imposed with appropriate penalty, including administrative sanction, pursuant to existing laws, rules and regulations. —Anna Felicia Bajo/ VAL, GMA Integrated News