RENATO Novero, head of the Enforcement Team of the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Bacolod City, confirmed that they have started on Monday, August 20, the implementation of Republic Act 10586 or Anti-Drunk Driving Act of 2013.
This means drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) and private motored vehicles who violated the new law will be apprehended.
"The driver should strictly follow the law because violation would mean a huge amount of penalties including imprisonment,” Novero warned.
He said LTO-Western Visayas held a seminar and deputized 50 personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that includes 15 in Bacolod City, Silay City with eight, Talisay City with seven, Murcia with seven, Bago City with three and the Highway Patrol Group with three.
A total of 50 police officers were deputized to assist in the implementation of the law, he said.
Novero said they will implement first the law against the drunk drivers or those under the influence of alcohol and later if the drug testing chips would arrive, they would also include those drivers who are driving while high in illegal drugs because, under the law, a driver found to have been driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs and/or other similar substances are covered.
Under the law, if driving under the influence of alcohol did not result in physical injuries or homicide, the penalty of three months imprisonment, and a fine ranging from P20,000 to P80,000 shall be imposed; if the violation of Section 5 resulted in physical injuries, the fine ranges from P100,000 to P200,000 shall be imposed; if the violation of Section 5 resulted in homicide, the fine ranges from P300,000 to P500,000 shall be imposed; and the non-professional driver’s license of any person found to have violated Section 5 of this Act shall also be confiscated and suspended for a period of 12 months for the first conviction and perpetually revoked for the second conviction.
The professional driver’s license of any person found to have violated Section 5 of this Act shall also be confiscated and perpetually revoked for the first conviction.
The perpetual revocation of a driver’s license and shall disqualify the person from being granted any kind of driver’s license thereafter.