(File photo)
MANILA – A labor group on Tuesday welcomed the House of Representatives' move to recall old "8" protocol plates that were issued to members of previous Congresses.
"This special plate shows inequality in our society. All private vehicles should be recognized equally on the road so that we do not ignore the principle of equal protection before the law," Jun Mendoza Ramirez, national vice president of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), said in a statement.
Ramirez also called on the government to improve mass transportation, which he said is a "step towards equal care and treatment."
“We need just transition and fix and expand mass transportation methods like train, electric tram, LRT (Light Rail Transit), and RORO (Roll-on/Roll-off) for the benefit of all,” he said.
"Let's remove the special treatment for private vehicles with these license plates because it is a clear violation of the equal protection of the Bill of Rights.”
The FFW also urged Congress and the Land Transportation Office to support the suspension of all special license plates that grant privileges to private vehicles.
“It aims to maintain the principle of equal treatment under the law. All Filipinos experience heavy traffic. It can be solved with efficient mass transportation and not with special plates. Government officials in their private cars must follow the same regulations and traffic laws that are applied to all private vehicles in the country,” Ramirez added.
In a memorandum, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco ordered the surrender of all old "8" plates.
He said they want to remove all the spurious, expired, and fake plates before issuing new plates.
The "8" car plate is reserved for vehicles of members of the House. (PNA)
