Amount of Fines in Anti-Drunk Driving Act too Exorbitant- Rama

Mayor Michael Rama will not encourage the policemen and other law enforcement authorities in Cebu City to enforce the newly-enacted law that penalizes drunk drivers because according to him the amount of the fine which is up to half million pesos is too exhorbitant.

Rama has suggested that Republic Act 10586 or the Anti-Drunk and Anti-Drugged Driving Act of 2013 needs to be reviewed because “that one of a kind of a law in my own opinion that it did not go through much scrutiny.”

The minimum penalty for drugged or drunk drivers involved in accident will be three months imprisonment and fine ranging from P20,000 to P80,000, but if the accident resulted in physical injuries, the fine will be from P100,000 to P200,000.

The law that was already signed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III also said that if the accident resulted in homicide the fine will be from P300,000 to P500,000 in addition to the imprisonment.

“Ah, binuang na. Balaud na nga buang. Dapat ila na nga gitan-aw kay basin og gidali-dali na og approve. You don’t make laws abided by because of exorbitant penalty. You make laws being observe and complete and complied with because there is respect, instead of fear kay kon gani og dili pa maka-afford ang madakpan kadaghang
mangapriso,” Rama said.

According to Rama laws has its own standard where it should be fair, reasonable, just and it must not be confiscatory. When asked by the media whether he will implement it here, Rama said “Implement a law that is unreasonable is just like agreeing to a law that was not well thought.”

Rommel Liquin,a driver of a motorcycle-for-hire or “habal-habal” operating in Barangay Lahug said “Grabeha ana nga balaud uy, kon madakpan ta mabaligya na lang ang atong motor sa kadaku sa multa.”

The new law is strict on drivers and warned them that even on their first conviction their license will be confiscated and immediately revoked and they will be perpetually banned from driving.

“Kon dagku kaayo’g multa dili na mao. Ang pinaka-importante nga kon mo-address man gani ta’g problema it has to jibe with the economic condition,” Rama explained.

Under the new law those drivers suspected of being drugged or drunk will be pulled to the side of the road by the road law enforcers for them to undergo sobriety tests, breath analyzer or drug testing.

If the concerned driver will refuse to undergo testing they will be penalized by confiscating their license and subjected to revocation.

Republic Act 10586, or the Anti-Drunk and Anti-Drugged Driving Act of 2013, provides that drunk or drugged driving, overspeeding, weaving, lane straddling, sudden stops, swerving, and poor coordination are signs that the concerned drivers shall be flagged down.