House probe sought into NCAP implementation

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1-Rider Party-list Representative Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez has filed a resolution seeking a House investigation into the government’s readiness to reimplement the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP).

House Resolution No. 1490 calls on the House committees on transportation and Metro Manila development to conduct the probe.

“It is the duty of Congress to exercise its oversight function to ensure that policies implemented by executive and local government agencies are aligned with national laws and that they serve the best interest of the public without infringing upon their fundamental rights,” the resolution said.

The NCAP uses closed-circuit television cameras, digital cameras and other devices or technologies to capture images and videos of vehicles violating traffic laws, instead of relying on traffic enforcers on the ground.

Motorists caught violating traffic rules face standardized fines under the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023.

According to the resolution, the two House committees must look into the following:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the NCAP in achieving its objectives of traffic management and road safety;
• Examine the mechanisms for due process and the accessibility of appeal procedures for motorists issued citations under the policy;
• Assess the systems in place to ensure the data privacy and security of information collected through the technology;
• Determine the legal authority and applicable rules governing the allocation and intended use of NCAP fines and penalty revenues, including whether these are used for traffic management, road safety, transportation or other authorized public purposes; and
• Determine the need for a national legislative framework to standardize automated traffic enforcement, ensuring consistency across different local government units and adherence to constitutional safeguards.

Among the cities implementing the NCAP starting Monday, October 5, are Manila, Quezon City, Parañaque, Muntinlupa and San Juan.

The implementation followed the Supreme Court’s lifting of the temporary restraining order (TRO) against the system and dismissal of consolidated petitions questioning its implementation on July 9.— MCG, GMA News

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