The Bicameral Conference Committee has finalized amendments to Republic Act 11235, also known as the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, scrapping the contentious “doble plaka” or dual license plate rule.
The revision reconciles Senate Bill 2555 and House Bill 11113, which sought to address growing concerns from the motorcycle community.
In the updated version, motorcycles will now require only a single plate mounted on the back.
Senator JV Ejercito emphasized that this decision considered the current backlog of 9 million license plates. He noted, “It’s better that all vehicles, especially motorcycles, have at least one plate rather than two that can’t be provided. The priority is ensuring proper identification for crime prevention.”
While the dual plate requirement was dropped, the essence of the law—preventing the use of motorcycles in criminal activities—remains intact.
Ejercito clarified that the penalties for violations have been adjusted to be more reasonable while retaining imprisonment and fines for offenders.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino added that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) aims to resolve the license plate backlog by June 2026.
However, he pointed out that the primary challenge lies in plate distribution rather than production.
RFID Provision Dropped
Another key amendment involves removing the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) requirement for motorcycles.
Ejercito explained that the LTO deemed the plate number sufficient for enforcement purposes, making RFID unnecessary.
Rider Safety Concerns Addressed
The original law faced backlash from groups like the Motorcycle Rights Organization, who argued that the dual plate requirement compromised rider safety and infringed on their rights.
With these amendments, lawmakers hope to balance effective crime prevention with the concerns of the motorcycle community.
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