During a hearing on Thursday, November 30, the Committee on Transportation, chaired by Antipolo City 2nd District Representative Romeo Acop, discussed the propriety and legality of impounding motor vehicles.
Rep. Acop is seeking an amendment to Republic Act (RA) No. 4136 to explicitly state the authority of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to impound motor vehicles.
“Kaya nagtatalo tayo rito because gray area ito. The law did not specifically provide for your power to impound,” Acop said.
“So I suggest na you come up with a recommended amendment to the law para magkaroon ng (so that there would be an) express provision of your power to impound,” he continued.
RA No. 4136, also known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, was signed into law in 1964. The law outlines the system for mandatory registration and the application of licenses to operate motor vehicles, among other provisions.
Acop is advocating for an amendment to the law to explicitly empower the LTFRB to impound motor vehicles, with the aim of addressing issues related to colorum or unregulated vehicles.
LTFRB’s authority to impound vehicles questioned
“Pag nagko-colorum ka (When you are in colorum), it shows one thing, you are not obeying the law. From the very start, you are already violating the law,” Acop said.
“This must be stopped to put order in our society. Otherwise, if we allow this, there will be no order in our society,” he stressed.
“If we implement our laws, the first thing that we get is nadidisiplina natin yung tao (we can discipline the person). Kung titignan natin ang kapaligiran natin ngayon, kulang na tayo sa disiplina, kulang na tayo sa pagsunod sa ating batas,” he added.
DOJ issued a legal opinion earlier this year stating that the LTFRB lacked the authority to independently apprehend, impound, and dispose of colorum vehicles. Instead, its authority is limited to coordinating and cooperating with other government agencies in the enforcement of laws related to the apprehension, impounding, and disposal of such vehicles.
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