Senator Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday filed a bill that pushes for the implementation of stricter penalties for drivers who are under the influence of alcohol, as drunk driving has been rampantly increasing throughout the years.
In filing for Senate Bill No. 2546, Tulfo cited the data from the Transportation Office's (LTO) Law Enforcement Service-Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Enforcement Unit that it had responded to a total of 402 road crash incidents that had been reported from January to August 2022, wherein 353 of the drivers were tested positive for alcohol intoxication despite the existence of the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013.
According to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Highway Patrol Group, at least 90% of road incidents happened in November 2022, compared to the 31 recorded incidents in October of the same year.
Moreover, the senator cited a case on November 1, 2023, in which Alyssa Mae Pacrin Abitria, a woman caused a three-vehicle wreck in Calamba, that resulted in five fatalities.
Abitria smelled alcohol when the collision happened, but it came out negative for her alcohol test, and she bailed out an amount of P120,000 so she could be released.
Due to this incident, Tulfo sought to push for stricter penalties for drunk drivers, in which he recommended imposing a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1,000,000 if the violation of existing driving policies resulted in homicide, per the penalty provided in Article 249 of the Revised Penal Code.
Tulfo also recommended that the non-professional driver’s license of any person who violated the policy be confiscated and suspended for 24 months.
A professional driver’s license of any person found to have violated the policies on driving under the influence of alcohol will be confiscated.
Meanwhile, here are the other recommendations:
- If the violation did not result in physical injuries or homicide, the penalty would be 12 months of imprisonment and a fine ranging from P50,000 to P100,000.
- If the violation resulted in physical injuries, the penalty provided for in the applicable paragraph of Article 263 of the Revised Penal Code in its maximum period, or the penalty provided for in the immediately preceding paragraph, whichever is higher, and a fine ranging from P150,000 to P300,000
