With the enforcement of the no contact apprehension policy (NCAP) temporarily stopped, a lawmaker proposed that all fines collected through the program should be returned to the motorists who paid them.
Rep. Mikee Romero is urging authorities to return all NCAP fines paid by motorists
“Now that the Supreme Court has issued a TRO (temporary restraining order) against this policy, the concerned agencies and LGUs (local government units) should reimburse the alleged violators the fines collected from them,” 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Mikee Romero said.
In particular, Romero was referring to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the cities of Manila, Quezon, San Juan, Valenzuela, Parañaque, and Muntinlupa. He added that these government offices must have collected tens of millions of pesos from supposed NCAP violators.
This was seconded by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert “Ace” Barbers. “If the policy is proven unlawful, the LGUs must refund the traffic fines collected from motorists,” he said. “I received a lot of letters and emails from those who were fined, saying that the amount is excessive.”
On Tuesday, the high court issued a resolution ordering the concerned government agencies and LGUs to stop implementing NCAP in their respective jurisdictions indefinitely. This was in response to two separate petitions filed by transport groups and a private citizen that challenge the legality of the policy.
Supreme Court spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka also advised motorists who were apprehended by NCAP prior to the issuance of the TRO to hold off paying the fines in the meantime.
“For those apprehended prior to the issuance of the temporary restraining order against NCAP, let us wait for the action of the SC in the main decision or even future order, if any,” he said in a text message to reporters.
Metro Manila cities enforcing NCAP have stopped in compliance with the TRO
However, the MMDA asserts that violators caught under NCAP before the TRO was issued are still subject to penalties.
“The Supreme Court said that the TRO is effective immediately and shall continue until further notice, hence, it is prospective, and those who have been caught through the policy prior to the issuance of the TRO still have to pay their fines,” said MMDA spokesman and Chief of Legal Services Crisanto Saruca, Jr.
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