Marcos tightens protocol plate issuance to curb misuse

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued an order regulating the granting of protocol license plates to government officials following concerns about the increasing prevalence of low-numbered plates.

Executive Order 58, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on March 25 but was only made public Thursday, reduced the number of plates designated to high-ranking officials. It amended the Arroyo-era Executive Order 400.

"It has been observed that complaints about the proliferation and unauthorized use of protocol license plates continue to increase over the years, threatening public safety and undermining the integrity of vehicle registration," the order read.

Below is a list of high-ranking officials allowed to use protocol license plates and their assigned numbers.

All authorized government personnel are allowed a maximum of two pairs of protocol license plates, except the president, vice president, Senate president, House speaker and Supreme Court chief justice, who are allowed a maximum of three plates.

According to the order, all other officials with equivalent ranks as the above authorized officials may be allowed to use protocol license plates, upon the recommendation of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), approval of the transportation secretary, and based on the list of all officials with equivalent rank as the above-mentioned officials of the Department of Budget and Management.

The EO said the associate justices of the CA, CTA and Sandiganbayan may also be permitted to use protocol license plates upon the recommendation of the LTO and approval of the transportation chief.

But it stressed that "this shall not be construed to authorize all other officials with equivalent rank as the associate justices of the CA, CTA and Sandiganbayan and below to use protocol license plates."

Protocol license plates issued to authorized officials will be valid only during their incumbency and may only be used for vehicles duly registered under their name and/or officially assigned to them.

"All previously-issued protocol license plates issued pursuant to EO 400, as amended, except those issued to incumbent authorized officials under Section 1