Alcover to file amendment to Helmet Law next week

CEBU, Philippines - After a successful protest rally yesterday against the high penalty imposed under the Helmet Law, ANAD Partylist Representative Pastor “Jun” Alcover will file an amendment to the law next week.

The protest rally or caravan was headed by Alcover and joined by more than 500 participants who are against the full implementation of the Helmet Law.

“We are not against the law itself. We are against the high penalty imposed under the law. We think that the penalty is exorbitant, oppressive, anti-poor and prone to corruption,” Alcover said.

The law provides a penalty of P1,500 (first offense), P3,000 (second offense), P5,000 (third offense) and P10,000 (fourth offense) plus confiscation of the helmet.

Yesterday’s protest rally was participated in by various groups of habal-habal drivers and professional riders in Metro Cebu.

Alcover added that motorcycle riders should not be given an additional burden in getting an ICC stricker at the DTI offices but it should be that government personnel from DTI or LTO should be the one to provide stickers, such as in a check point, to lessen the burden of the motorcycle riders.

The Helmet Law was supposed to take effect yesterday but the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) last week ordered the Land Transportation Office to defer enforcement of the motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009 and its implementing rules and regulations.

DOTC, in a press statement, said that the decision to defer was in line with the Department of Trade and Industry’s request to give them more time to inspect all the helmets that are coming in the country.

DTI wants to ensure that all the helmets bear the Import Commodity Clearance seal issued by the Bureau of Products Standard. The DTI requested to give them until the end of the year to complete inspection before the Helmet Law and its IRR is enforced nationwide.

The DOTC directed LTO to instruct its enforcers to issue reminders to motorcycle drivers as a means to conduct aggressive public information and education campaign.

From August to December this year, no punitive measures such as the issuance of citation tickets shall be implemented. But starting January 1, 2013, motorcycle drivers caught driving without the protective helmet bearing the ICC seal will be issued citation tickets and penalized as stated in Helmet Act of 2009.

The IRR of the Helmet Law was stipulated in the Joint Administrative Order crafted by the DOTC and DTI, requiring motorcycle drivers and riders to use protective motorcycle helmets with PS and ICC seals.

The order also penalizes motorcycle dealers who produce or sell substandard helmets and not bearing the Philippine Standard mark or ICC seal, including those who tamper and forge the PS or ICC marks. — (FREEMAN)