MANILA, Philippines The Land Transportation Office (LTO) should investigate the owner of the sports utiliity vehicle with a protocol plate '8' that fatally rammed a security guard last Sunday and injured another. The owner should explain how she got hold of the protocol plate.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles, along with several other lawmakers, made the call on Tuesday, saying that naming the owner of the Nissan X-Trail would spare his colleagues from suspicion.
In a text message, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez also made a similar call, saying: They got the regular plate number. They should now announce who the registered owner is."
Early morning last Sunday, a Nissan X-Trail hit Marbert Raz, 30, and his companion Romy Rivera near the Trinoma Mall in Quezon City. Raz was killed and Rivera was seriously wounded.
Investigators already have regular plate number of the vehicle, which they said was driven by a certain Jason Bautista.
Earlier reports said the Nissan was registered under the name of Sharon Faye Bautista of 18 Agustin St., Barangay Bungad, San Francisco del Monte Avenue, Quezon City.
Sharon Faye is the wife of Jason and reportedly the daughter of a Metro Manila representative to the House.
LTO chief Alberto Suansing said he had ordered the LTO-Intelligence and Investigation Division (LTO-IID) to summon Sharon Faye to ask her how she was able to acquire the "8" car plate, a privilege given to House members.
In view of the incident, lawmakers suggested that protocol plates should be limited to the top five government leaders.
"I don't think we should have any special privileges," Norther Samar Rep. Paul Daza said. "Maybe protocol plates are only for the president, vice president, Senate president, (House) speaker and (Supreme Court) chief justice.'
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez urged Nograles to speed up the passage of House Bill 2346, which Rodriguez himself, filed that would ban the issuance of low-numbered protocol license plates.
He said the bill would end the practice of some government officials to use the license plates to avoid penalty when they violate traffic laws.
In the meantime, the House must have a listing of those who have been issued with '8' protocol plates, according to Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante.
In a statement, Nograles said that he would immediately order an inventory of all number 8 plates issued by the LTO and issue a memorandum reminding members of the House that only they are allowed to use the plate.
But the House leader stressed that nothing in the law prevents the LTO or other traffic enforcement agencies from apprehending motorists that violate traffic rules even if their vehicles bear the special plates.
"You look at the violation not the plate number," Nograles said. "I don't know of any law or any precedent in our statute books that says that those using special plates are immune from arrest or even fine for violating the law.
"It's ignorance on the part of LTO headed by Alberto Suansing to assume that congressmen with number 8 plates are exempted from obeying our traffic rules and regulations," Nograles said. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV