EDITORIAL – Unprepared

It really comes as no surprise that the regional office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has admitted that it cannot yet implement Republic Act 10586 or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013 which is supposed to start implementation today, March 12. The reason? It lacks trained personnel as well as breath analyzers. In a country where inefficiency is the order of the day, that really is something we have come to expect.
That is not to say, of course, that it is acceptable. This law had actually been set for implementation in June last year after the approval of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR), but delays had reset it to today. One would think that almost a year of delay would have given the government the opportunity to conduct the proper training and purchase and distribute the necessary equipment. But no, what we have is still the same old situation. Today, the day when drunk and drugged driving will finally be penalized, our agencies are left untrained and empty handed.
Which is a shame because the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act is a law that has been long in coming. Driving while under the influence (DUI) is something we take for granted and with a cavalier attitude, as if it is a trivial matter that does not merit attention. There are unfortunately no statistics on this problem, but it is safe to say that numerous accidents have been caused by drunks and addicts taking the wheel. We do not know how many people have died or been maimed by drunk drivers, but this law is what would have put a stop to the mayhem they cause on the road.
To the government, let’s get our act together, shall we? This law needs to be implemented, and it’s not so reassuring when the enforcers themselves are ill-prepared to do it.