MAGHAHAIN ng House resolution sa Lunes si Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon na nananawagan sa Department of Transportation (DOTr) na utusan ang Land Transportation Office (LTO) na agad itigil ang pagpapatupad ng planong pag-impound ng light electric vehicles (LEVs) gaya ng e-bikes at e-trikes simula Disyembre 1.

Iginiit niyang hindi maaaring gamiting legal na basehan ang EVIDA Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) para sa hakbang ng LTO.

Ani Ridon, na pinuno ng House committee on public accounts at miyembro ng House transportation committee, kikilos ang Kongreso upang harangin ang impounding at repasuhin ang umiiral na mandato.

“On Monday, we will file a House Resolution urging the Department of Transportation to direct the Land Transportation Office to immediately stop the implementation of the impounding of light electric vehicles beginning 1 December 2025. Under the same Resolution, we will also review the impounding mandates of the LTO and other agencies, including the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA),” ani Ridon.

Ayon kay Ridon, mali ang paggamit sa EVIDA IRR bilang legal na sandigan para sa crackdown.

“The EVIDA Implementing Rules and Regulations is being cited as the supposed legal basis for the Land Transportation Office to start impounding e-trikes and e-bikes on Monday, 1 December 2025, only a few days after their announcement at the Senate. But a basic reading of the EVIDA law and its Implementing Rules and Regulations shows this is not correct,” saad ni Ridon.

Aniya, ang batas mismo ang nagbigay ng exemption sa LEVs mula sa LTO registration.

“The law provides a blanket exemption to light electric vehicles such as e-trikes and e-bikes from being registered with the Department of Transportation and its attached agencies like the LTO. As such, the land transportation law, Republic Act No. 4136, does not apply to LEVs, even if these vehicles use public roads,” ani Ridon.

Kung hindi saklaw ng RA 4136 ang LEVs, hindi rin saklaw ang mga parusa nito, kabilang ang pag-impound, dagdag niya.

Giit pa niya, nililimita ng EVIDA IRR ang isinaad ng Kongreso.

“On the other hand, the EVIDA IRR effectively rewrites the wisdom of Congress in granting a blanket exemption to LEVs by inserting additional conditions before a vehicle can enjoy that exemption, namely that it must be:

a. Not intended to be operated or used upon any public highway; and

b. Intended not to be used or operated at all.

To be clear, a mere implementing rule or regulation cannot amend or restrict an act of Congress. A blanket exemption granted by Congress for private-use LEVs cannot be cut down by mere implementing agencies through additional requirements that are not found in the law itself,” ani Ridon.

Nagbabala si Ridon na hindi patas sa publiko kung ipagpapatuloy ang impounding.

“The LTO can insist that the IRR is valid unless reversed by the courts. But it should also recognize that insisting on impounding LEVs on December 1 on the strength of such a flimsy and legally contentious IRR provision will be a grave injustice to our people. We will fight this in Congress. The LEV and alternative mobility sector may fight this in court,” pahayag ni Ridon.