New law requires bigger, color-coded motorcycle plates

 MANILA, Philippines — As part of crime prevention efforts, President Duterte has enacted a law requiring larger, readable and color-coded number plates for motorcycles .

He also enacted measures related to energy projects and agricultural land patents. 

Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11235 or the “Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act” on March 8. 

A bill streamlining the permitting process for power generation, transmission and distribution projects was also signed into law on the same day. 

Another bill, which lifts Commonwealth-era restrictions on agricultural free patents, was signed on Feb. 22.  

Under the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, motorcycles should have bigger, readable and color-coded number plates.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will determine the font style and size of the number plates and devise a color scheme of the number plates for every region in the country where a motorcycle is registered for easy identification. 

If a motorcycle is used to commit a crime that constitutes a grave felony under the Revised Penal Code or to escape from the scene of a crime, the owner, driver, backrider or passenger will be slapped with reclusion temporal (jail term that lasts for 12 years and one day to 20 years) to reclusion perpetua (imprisonment for 20 years and a day to 30 years). 

If a motorcycle is used to commit a crime constituting a less grave felony, the offensers will be punished by prision correcional (jail term of six months and one day to six years) to prision mayor (jail term of six years and one day to 12 years). 

A person who drives a motorcycle without a number plate or a readable number plate will be punished by prision correccional or a fine of not less than P50,000 but not more than P100,000 or both.

Republic Act No. 11234 or the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop Law, meanwhile, aims to remove red tape in the application of permits for power generation, transmission and distribution projects.

The measure will form the energy virtual one-stop shop, an online platform where developers can apply, monitor and receive all project permits and applications, submit required documents and pay the necessary fees. 

The law will require agencies to strictly follow a timeframe to act on applications. If an agency fails to process the application, the application would be automatically approved.

Inefficient government personnel may also face administrative sanctions.

System and market operators who fail to follow the prescribed time frame will be fined with P100,000 per day of delay.

Also signed into law was Republic Act No. 11231 or the Agricultural Free Patent Reform Act, which aims to do away with restrictions on free patents to allow the efficient use of lands and enable them to contribute to economic development. 

Agricultural public lands alienated or disposed in favor of qualified public land applicants under Commonwealth Act No. 141 will no longer be subject to restrictions related to acquisitions, encumbrances conveyances, transfers or dispositions. 

“Agricultural free patent shall now be considered as title in fee simple and shall not be subject to any restriction on encumbrance or alienation,” the law stated.