WITH the suspension of the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 11229, or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, during the coronavirus disease pandemic, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon is calling for a review of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the law.
Biazon, a member of the House Committee on Transportation, has asked that the Committee, in the exercise of its oversight function, review the IRR of RA 11229.
“I support the initiative of the chair to have the implementation suspended but I also hope that the opportunity to review the IRR be taken while implementation is delayed,” Biazon said in a message to Committee on Transportation chair Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento.
“It seems that there are IRR provisions that go beyond the scope and authority of RA 11229 and also add to the confusion and apprehension about the law,” he added.
One example, Biazon said, is the IRR provision on “Fitting Stations,” which is supposedly meant to effectively implement Section 8 of RA 11229, or the Certification Training Program.
“It is my belief that the establishment of fitting stations as contained in the IRR steps beyond the training program intended in Section 8. It is also vague as to the purpose of the fitting stations, with the question raised if motorists would need to have their units evaluated and approved by a fitting station,” he said.
The Muntinlupa lawmaker further said to Sarmiento that the process of accrediting the fitting stations may also give rise to corruption due to the exercise of discretion by accreditors.
“The law does not mention the creation of fitting stations,” he stressed.
Transportation officials have postponed the implementation of RA 11229 during the coronavirus disease pandemic as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) finalizes enforcement protocols for the law.
Prior to the deferment of its implementation, the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act was supposed to have taken effect last Tuesday, February 2.
Sarmiento earlier wrote Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to ask that preparatory measures, including a nationwide education and information campaign, be implemented prior to implementation of the law.