Small private emission testing centers (PETC) are urging Malacañang to suspend anew the implementation of the private motor vehicle inspection service.
In its letter to President Rodrigo Duterte dated August 14, 2021, Alagaan Natin Inang Kalikasan (ANI-Kalikasan), headed by Macario Evangelista Jr., said the President’s directive to suspend the implementation of the private motor vehicle inspection scheme and the Child Car Seat Law last February had been bypassed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) which, together with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), issued DOTr MC-SC No. 2021-02 dated July 5, 2021, and LTO Memorandum dated August 6, 2021, on the alleged geographical area of responsibility, which are both designed to favor private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVIC), and have no legal basis and eradicate PETCs that have long operated by virtue of the Philippine Clean Air Act.
“Mr. President, it seems that the purpose of the reloaded mandatory PMVIC testing, though commendable, is a policy decision left best to the discretion of our battle-tested legislators in both chambers,” the group said.
“All the PETCs pray for is a level playing field and we implore your intervention for the sake of the ordinary Filipinos whom your heart is endeared to. If safety is their true concern, why limit administrative priorities to the PMVIC? The Child Car Seat Law has remained suspended. Ironically, DOTr feels that nationwide implementation of PMVIC is not a priority, only in select areas to favored PMVIC operators. Road accidents happen all over the country, not only in these areas, caused by human error,” the group added.
Earlier, provisions of Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code of the Philippines, relating to vehicle roadworthiness have been invoked where roadworthiness is limited to inspection of tail lights, stop lights, motorcycle and other motor vehicle lights, windshield wipers, uses of red flag, mufflers and others.
“The burden of expensive vehicle inspection relating to all the other additional testing mandated under PMVIC is without legal basis,” the group said.
It pointed out that these provisions are now being implemented through memoranda and orders by DOTr’s Administrative Services Division under undersecretary Artemio Tuazon Jr. – Myla Iglesias
