Vehicle owners will not be compelled to obtain a Compulsory Third Party Liability (CTPL) insurance while other tests required for license or registration renewal will be under government agencies, according to a planned Senate bill.

In a statement on Friday, Senator Raffy Tulfo said a vehicle owner with a comprehensive insurance coverage should not spend at least another PHP1,000 for a CTPL.

CTPL pays for expenses incurred when a vehicle owner causes injuries or death to a third party in an accident.

He also pointed out that the vision and emission tests should be under government agencies instead of accredited firms, some of them fly-by-night, near Land Transportation Office (LTO) offices.

Each test costs PHP500.

Tulfo visited the LTO office in Diliman, Quezon City on Thursday following complaints received by his office.

“The LTO can offer the tests instead so the billions collected can go to the public treasury and not to some ‘hao siao’ (pseudo or fake) outsourced eye exam clinics and compliance testing centers,” he said.

The LTO requires distant binocular visual acuity of not less than 20/40 in both eyes, with or without corrective lenses.

Meanwhile, Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act mandates the government to monitor all cars in the Philippines and the gasses they release, including emission limits of vehicles.

Accompanied by his Senate staff, Tulfo also gathered research materials to aid him in crafting the bill.

“Bilyones na ang nawala at patuloy na nawawala sa kaban ng bayan kada taon dahil sa korapsyon at bulok na sistema. Panahon na para tugisin ang mga nagkasala at ituwid ang mga maling patakaran at ilagay sa ayos ang pamamalakad sa LTO (Billions are lost from our treasury due to corruption and a rotten system. It’s time to run after them and correct the LTO system),” Tulfo said in his statement. (PNA)