Hotrod Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 FYI: Drivers caught under the influence of alcohol or drugs now face heavier penalties under a new law signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III. Republic Act No. 10586, or the “Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013”, seeks to promote safe and responsible driving as well as curb motor vehicle accidents. “Pursuant to the Constitutional principle that recognizes the protection of life and property and the promotion of general welfare as essential for the enjoyment of the blessing of democracy, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to ensure road safety through the observance of the citizenry of responsible and ethical driving standards,” the law read. “Toward this end, the State shall penalize the acts of driving under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs and other intoxicating substances and shall inculcate the standards of safety driving and the benefits that may be derived from it through institutional programs and appropriate public information strategies,” it added. The new law stated that offenders who have not caused any physical injury or homicide shall be fined from P20,000 to P80,000 and face three months imprisonment. If the DUI results to injuries, the penalty will be a fine ranging from P100,000 to P200,000 and imprisonment from three months to 12 years. Driving under the influence that lead to homicide, on the other hand, shall be fined from P300,000 to P500,000 or imprisonment from 12 years to 20 years. The non-professional driver's license of violators will also be suspended for 12 months for the first conviction and perpetually revoked on the second conviction. The professional driver's license of an offender, on the other hand, will be confiscated and revoked for the first conviction. The perpetual revocation of a driver's license shall disqualify the person from being granted any kind of driver's license. RA 10586 also allows mandatory alcohol and drug test of drivers involved in accidents that lead to injury or death. A driver who refuses to undergo such tests will be penalized by confiscation and automatic revocation of driver’s license. Law enforcement authorities are also empowered to conduct field sobriety, chemical and confirmatory tests on persons suspected to be driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The "apparent indications" that may compel such tests are drivers involved in overspeeding, weaving, lane straddling, sudden stops, swerving, poor coordination or the evident of smell of alcohol in a person’s breath or signs of use of illegal drugs. If a driver fails in the sobriety tests, the law enforcement officer will test the driver’s alcohol level by using a breath analyzer. If driver is believed to be under the influence of drugs, the officer will bring the driver to the nearest police station for a drug exam. The Land Transportation Office will also conduct random terminal inspections and quick random tests of public utility drivers. Persons applying for drivers’ licenses will also have to complete a course on safe driving and consequences of driving under the influence. Professional drivers renewing their licenses must also undergo drivers' education. To effectively implement the new law, the LTO and the the Philippine National Police are authorized to acquire breath analyzers and drug-testing kits to be utilized by law enforcement officers and deputized local traffic enforcers. Training seminars will also be conducted for the law enforcers and deputies on Funds for the acquisition of equipment and training of personnel will be sourced from LTO’s special road safety fund. The LTO is authorized to deputize traffic enforcers from the PNP, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and cities and municipalities to enforce the new law. With the help of local government units, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) has also been directed to conduct nationwide information campaign about the new anti-drunk and drugged driving law. The law, signed last May 27, takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or in two newspapers. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support Old55 Posted May 31, 2013 Forum Support Posted May 31, 2013 (edited) " The "apparent indications" that may compel such tests are drivers involved in overspeeding, weaving, lane straddling, sudden stops, swerving, poor coordination" Just sayin...... :whistling: Edited May 31, 2013 by Old55 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 Long overdue but if you drive drunk and hit the wrong person the police will be the least of your worries. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthdome Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 I am not a fan of DUI checkpoints. If you drive irresponsibly and cause an accident you should be held accountable regardless of whether you are under the influence or messing with your cell phone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike S Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 overspeeding, weaving, lane straddling, sudden stops, swerving, poor coordination" Ok so that mean things will be normal as that is the way 80% of the people drive ..... but then we jst know that jeepney drivers would never drive drunk or when taking drugs .... they just normally drive that way ..... :hystery: :hystery: :hystery: But I agree it is something that has been needed here for a long time ..... just that those that can afford to pay the fine won't be charged and those that can't can't pay it anyway ..... now we will see how many cops sit outside the bars looking to catch foreigners driving while drunk ..... I know of one such bar in Florida where they cops used to watch all the time and made quit a few arrests ..... but then that can be a good thing ..... Course I can say that as I don't drink ..... :mocking: :cheersty: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyWay Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 " The "apparent indications" that may compel such tests are drivers involved in overspeeding, weaving, lane straddling, sudden stops, swerving, poor coordination" Just sayin...... :whistling: How are they going to pull over the entire city of Manila when they observe these traits? :hystery: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrod Posted May 31, 2013 Author Posted May 31, 2013 The new law stated that offenders who have not caused any physical injury or homicide shall be fined from P20,000 to P80,000 and face three months imprisonment. You may have also noticed the heavy fines... ?! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i am bob Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 Gee... and the last post I read mentioned how heavy traffic was in Manila... Won't be for long if they follow through with this! :mocking: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Americano Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 (edited) Just another law that will be enforced on foreigners but not on Filipinos. Just one out of every 100 riders in my area wear a motorcycle helmet but let a foreigner try it and see how far he gets. These laws are written for foreigners and anyone the Police are pissed off at. It will have no effect on most Filipinos. Edited May 31, 2013 by Americano 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon1 Posted June 1, 2013 Posted June 1, 2013 The one major loophole in all of this is, there is no level specified on what constitutes a legal intoxication limit (like .08 in the US). So if you even smell of alcohol and pop positive for it on a breathalyzer, you could be ticketed for DUI even if it was only one beer. I view this as a new income tool for the police.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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