HON. RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ

HON. RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ

Chairman, Committee on Constitutional Amendments

Vice Chairman, Committee on Justice

House of Representatives

Honorable Congressman Rodriguez,

Good morning, Sir.

I am writing to suggest, If I may, a possible solution to the problem of social distancing in Smoke Emission Testing Centers.

That you see people crammed inside emission testing centers is proof that there are not enough testing centers that people can go to.  This is the result of the action of Usec. Artemio U. Tuazon, ordering the closure of about 800 Private Emission Testing Center (PETC) across the country without ‘due process’.

Many of Usec. Tuazon’s accusations against PETCs are baseless, lacking concrete evidence.  Yet he succeeded in closing them down. This has never happened before since the enactment of RA 8749 or the Clean Air Act.

The arbitrary closure of PETCs started when the Department of Transportation (DoTR) issued DO-2016-017 after Sec. Tugade successfully transferred to DOTR the mandate and jurisdiction of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Vehicle Inspection as stated in RA 4136.

We believe and it is clear that the action of Sec. Tugade is to favor the privatization of LTO’s Motor Vehicle Inspection System. This project was labelled – PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION CENTERS (PMVIC) where private investors are now the ones who will perform the mandate of the LTO on vehicle inspections.

Please note, your honor, that the capital needed to put up a PMVIC is from P40M or more.  The privatization of LTO-MVIS has caused the government to lose income that instead of going to the national coffers are now going to the hands of powerful businessmen and private investors.  This also resulted to the loss of income and livelihood of more or less 10,000 small businessmen who were operators of PETCs.

Honorable Congressman, the way that Sec. Tugade privatized the LTO-MVIS is not based on what the law stipulates and we, at CAMPI-Clean Air Act of the Philippines, Inc., are ready and willing to prove this if you give us the chance and if you will hear us out.

After Sec. Tugade successfully issued DOTR-DO-2016-017, he established the FRS-ISLES within the DoTR participated in by different department Usec. and is now headed by Usec. Artemio U. Tuazon.

Congressman, it is made clear, and without a doubt, that the reason Sec. Tugade seized the mandate of LTO on vehicle inspection is to favor the PRIVATIZATION of the LTO-MVIS and indulge the big and powerful businessmen.

We’ve seen a lot of violations against the law that Sec. Tugade had to approve in order to push this DoTR project, one of which, among many, is the lack of ‘public consultation’.

The public will now be required to pay P1,800.00 to PMVICs for emission testing and inspection before they can register their vehicles while it is P900.00 for motorcycles.  If they fail in the emission test and inspection, the payment of 50% more is required for re-testing/inspection.

This cost is only P90.00 if it was the LTO-MVIS who will conduct it and not the PRIVATIZED MVIC.

Even the anomalies in the importation of machines that the PMVIC will be using will be revealed to you, Congressman, if you will only listen to our side and if you will give us the opportunity to present to you our evidence.  This is a huge amount that the government will lose because of wrong-practices at the DoTR.

We are asking for your help, Congressman. We appeal for your compassion. The small businessmen in our line are suffering because of the pandemic and the livelihood of some 10,000 people are in danger. It is now, more than ever, that we need the government’s help.

Thank you for your attention.  We pray that God continues to give you strength and the wisdom to help and assist people like us, the marginalized in our society.

May God bless you and your family always.

Clean Air Movement of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI)

0932-4584840

larpit.md@gmail.com

(Atty. Ariel Enrile-Inton)