MANILA - Voting 203-0, the House of Representatives has approved on final reading House Bill 8914, providing stiffer penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs, and other similar substances.

The bill will be submitted to the Senate for action.

Under the proposed law, a driver found to have been driving a motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs and other similar substances will be penalized as follows:

- if the violation did not result in physical injuries or homicide, the penalty of 6 months imprisonment and a fine ranging from P50,000 to P100,000.

- if the violation resulted in physical injuries, the applicable paragraph of article 263 of the the Revised Penal Code in its maximum period or the penalty provided in the preceding paragraph, whichever is higher and a fine ranging from P150,000 to P250,000.

-if the violation resulted in homicide, the penalty provided in Article 249 of the Revised Penal Code in its maximum period and a fine ranging from P350,000 to P550,000 shall be imposed.

The non-professional driver’s license of any person who violated the law will be confiscated and suspended for 18 months for the first conviction and perpetually revoked for the second conviction. - report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

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