House panel to probe enforcement of Child Car Seat Law, PMVICs during pandemic

MANILA - The House Committee on Transportation will look into the implementation of vehicle regulations such as the Child Car Seat Law and private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVIC), its chairman said Thursday.

The committee will open its inquiry on Wednesday, said Samar 1st District Edgar Sarmiento as he urged the executive department to defer the laws' enforcement amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Sa kahirapan po ng panahon natin brought about this pandemic, sana may mga batas at polisiya na huwag muna ngayon...Kahit anong gawin natin unahin na muna natin ang kailangan sa pandemyang ito," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

(During this difficult time brought about this pandemic, there are laws and policies that should not be enforced...Whatever we do, we have to prioritize what we need during the pandemic.)

"Kung may batas man na ipapairal ngayon, wag muna natin pagastusin ang mga tao."

(If there are laws to be enacted, we should not force people to spend.)

The Department of Transportation earlier said it supports the deferment of the full implementation of the Child Car Seat Law.

• Full enforcement of child car seat law should be deferred amid pandemic: DOTr, LTO

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), meantime, flagged possible corruption in PMVICs, of which the implementation did not undergo public consultation.

• 'Pag walang consultation, baka may corruption': VACC blasts PMVIC operations during pandemic

"Wrong timing nga para ma-implement nga ‘tong private motor vehicle inspection centers kung saan wala talagang thorough public consultation. Pag walang consultation baka may corruption. Yung (The) absence ng transparency leads to corruption," VACC President Arsenio Evangelista said.

(It's wrong timing to implement these PMVICs which did not undergo thorough public consultation. When there's no consultation, there might be corruption.)

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