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Friday deadline to comply with the Govt Vehicle Act
Department of Public Safety Commissioner James C. Deleon Guerrero is giving all government employees, including lawmakers and elected officials, until Friday to comply with the mandates of the Government Vehicle Act.
In a news briefing yesterday, Deleon Guerrero urged all government employees to coordinate with the Division of Procurement and Supply to ensure that vehicles assigned to them by their departments are in compliance with the law.
Department of Public Safety commissioner James C. Deleon Guerrero and Police Sgt. Anthony Macaranas hold a news briefing yesterday regarding enforcement of the Government Vehicle Act, the arrest of Police Officer 1 Carl Tudela, and other issues. (Ferdie de la Torre)
“If it’s still not in compliance, then we would have no other choice but to begin the process of not only issuing citations, but impounding their assigned vehicles,” he warned.
It was earlier reported that some lawmakers use government or leased vehicles that have tinted windows.
Deleon Guerrero said the law is clear: In the case of vehicles assigned to the Legislature, if the lease agreement exceeds 60 days, the tint will have to be stripped.
He said lawmakers are allowed to use private license plates but the tinting has to be removed.
Deleon Guerrero said the only exemption on tinting is for law enforcement vehicles.
“We have to put an end to this because it seems that there are still government employees out there ignoring the law,” he said.
Deleon Guerrero said the Government Vehicle Act has been in the book since 1994 and 1995.
“I guess there’s been a lack of enforcement for a long time,” he noted.
The commissioner said he wrote letters to every department heads within the Executive Branch as well as to autonomous agencies’ heads, reminding them that DPS is going to start enforcing the Government Vehicle Act.
“I do not see where the problem is in terms of compliance,” he said.
Sgt. Anthony Macaranas said the law clearly says that no government vehicles should be tinted and that includes cars of elected officials.
Macaranas said the only exemptions are law enforcement vehicles assigned to DPS and the Division of Customs.
Macaranas said the marking on the vehicles’ doors does not apply to judges and elected officials, but government plates and no tinting apply to them.
