The recent enforcement campaign in Cebu City by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 against motorcycles equipped with loud, modified mufflers has drawn criticism from certain sectors of the riding community.
One of the vocal critics is Bonifacio Laqui Bosita, chairman of the Riders Safety Advocates of the Philippines and a former I-Rider Party-List representative, who accused the officials and operatives of LTO 7 of discriminating against motorcycle riders by focusing on “aftermarket mufflers” while allegedly ignoring violations by other vehicles.
Criticism of government enforcement is normal in a democracy and public officials must always be open to scrutiny. But the criticism takes on a different tone when it comes from someone who once sat in Congress and participated in the country’s lawmaking process.
Bosita is not just another advocate speaking on behalf of riders. He is a former representative of the 1-Rider Party-list in the House of Representatives, a position that carries the responsibility of upholding and strengthening the rule of law. And, you bet, he was a retired police colonel; hence, a law enforcer then.
That distinction matters. Traffic regulations governing vehicle modifications are not arbitrary rules invented by roadside enforcers. They are anchored on Republic Act No. 4136, which authorizes authorities to regulate vehicle equipment and prohibit modifications that create excessive noise or deviate from approved standards.
On anti-noise pollution regulations, the local government units (LGUs), like Cebu City, have enacted ordinances dealing with noise pollution. These ordinances include specific limitations on noise levels that can be emitted by vehicles, including motorcycles, especially in residential areas and during night-time hours.
In simple terms, excessively loud mufflers are illegal.
Also, Republic Act (RA) 8749 (Clean Air Act of 1999) primarily targets air pollution but also includes standards for noise emissions. It mandates the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to set standards for noise levels, including those from motor vehicles.
The reason is not difficult to understand. Noise pollution is not a trivial matter in highly urbanized communities. Residents living along busy streets have long complained about motorcycles roaring through neighborhoods late at night, their modified exhaust systems sounding more like racing machines than ordinary means of transport.
For people trying to sleep, study, or simply live in peace, the disturbance is real.
For regulators, it is a violation that must be addressed.
To be fair, Bosita’s criticism about possible selective enforcement is not entirely without merit. If other vehicles — trucks, jeepneys, or private cars — are also operating with illegal exhaust systems, then enforcement authorities must ensure that the law is applied equally.
But selective enforcement, if it exists, is not an argument for weakening the law. The logical response is to strengthen enforcement, not to undermine it.
Under RA 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, the LTO is empowered to prescribe rules and regulations concerning vehicle noise emissions.
In a country already struggling with traffic disorder and weak compliance with road rules, the last message the public needs to hear is that regulations can be brushed aside whenever they inconvenience a particular sector.
Advocacy is important. Motorcycle riders deserve fair treatment and respect on the road. But advocacy should never become an excuse to justify violations that disturb the public and undermine the very rules meant to keep order on our streets.
Public roads are shared spaces governed by law. They do not belong to the loudest engines or the most vocal pressure groups.
And this is precisely why the voice of a former lawmaker carries weight.
Those who once helped craft the laws of the land should be the first to remind citizens why those laws exist in the first place. Public office carries responsibilities that do not disappear after leaving Congress. Former legislators, perhaps more than anyone else, should be the first to remind everyone that laws exist for the common good.
Because when former lawmakers appear to challenge the enforcement of the law, the message it sends is dangerous.
Motorcycle riders are an important part of the country’s transport ecosystem. They deserve respect and fair treatment. But they are not exempt from the rules that govern public roads and safety.
And if we truly want discipline on our roads, the message must be clear: the law applies to all, without exception, and without apology.
The streets belong to everyone — not just to the loudest engines and the streets are already noisy enough that the rule of law should not be drowned out by them.