Oral arguments on ‘no-contact’ policy moved to December
THE SUPREME Court (SC) has set Dec. 6 for the oral arguments on several petitions filed against the government’s use of video surveillance and digital cameras to catch traffic violators.
In a statement on Thursday, the High Court also set Nov. 4 as the date for the preliminary conference.
The oral arguments for the cases were initially scheduled for Jan. 24 next year.
“The Supreme Court likewise ordered that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) be furnished a copy of the Petitions, and thereafter file its comment within 10 days from receipt of the notice,” said the tribunal.
A copy of the court’s resolution has yet to be uploaded to the SC website.
Last month, the tribunal issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) which stopped law enforcers from implementing the government’s so-called no-contact apprehension policy.
Several transport groups earlier asked the High Court to void the policy, asserting that it is prone to abuse.
A lawyer who was fined more than P20,000 for alleged traffic violations also filed a separate lawsuit on Aug. 18.
The court said it issued the order “without necessarily giving due course to the petitions.”
The TRO stopped the Land Transportation Office (LTO) from giving out motorists’ information to local government units.
The policy was being enforced in the cities of Manila, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Quezon and Valenzuela as well as by the MMDA, which has jurisdiction across the capital region Metro Manila.
Mayors of the cities using the no-contact system have said the policy had minimized human intervention in traffic enforcement. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
