‘No penalties for face shield policy violations in boats’

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

Maritime Industry Authority-Region 6 (MARINA-6) Director Jose Venancio Vero on Friday clarified that there would be no penalties for violating the “No Face Shield, No Ride” policy in all modes of water transport.

In an interview with Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, Vero said that the national government has not issued directives imposing fines in non-wearing of face shields.

Vero added that there are already deterrents in effect, as the said policy is also applied to jeepneys, and that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is also checking compliance in ports and wharfs.

Vero was referring to jeepney drivers being penalized by the Land Transportation Office through Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2020-2185, which was issued on May 12, 2020.

Under MC No. 2020-2185, jeepney drivers would be charged for Reckless Driving under the LTO Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-001.

Fines for the said violation range from P 2,000 to P 10,000, with suspension or revocation of driver’s license in subsequent offenses.

Motorboats plying the routes from Iloilo City to Jordan, Guimaras depart and arrive at Parola and Ortiz Wharves, which are along jeepney routes.

“As of now, there is no policy which provides for penalties in those cases. We still don’t have circulars which state that there should be a penalty. But our deterrent there is that they cannot ride without a face shield. If you remember, before they get to the wharf, they would have to ride a jeepney, where there’s already a prohibition. The control mechanism is there because the [PCG] also checks whether or not a person is wearing a face shield,” Vero said.

He added that the policy is easier to implement for boats because people would still go through certain checks.

“The passenger rides anywhere, but in motorboats, they would have to get to the terminal. For example, if you go through the terminal of the PPA, you can’t enter without a face shield. Tickets can be bought, but if you enter the terminal to ride the boat, you can’t enter without a face shield.”

On August 5, 2020, MC No. 2020-0014 was issued by the MARINA’s parent agency, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), mandating the wearing of face shields in all modes of public transportation.