Massive emissions testing racket causes issues with clean air in Manila

bus smoke belcher
Massive Emissions Testing Racket Causing Issues With Clean Air in Metro Manila – www.plnmedia.com

In a follow up report based on the fact that the DENR is now going to install air quality monitoring systems instead of getting to the bottom of the issue within the system, a group has brought to the steps of the system an argument that they can’t deny.

 Clean air advocates have called on Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya to stop the stream of massive corruption in motor vehicle emission testing stations at the LTO level. 

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The Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines came down hard on Abaya as they try to stop the corruption and demand immediate action to end the practice of allowing “No Shows” or “Non-Appearances” to those who are still handed a motor vehicle emission tests by the LTO and other private emission testing centers throughout the Philippines.

The Philippines Clean Air Act of 1999 requires that all motor vehicles must undergo a mandatory emission test before LTO can register them – oddly that even includes motorcycles (which in fact are not part of the real issue but  have been added to the list to accommodate a flow of cash into the system that seems to be not doing much at all).

Due to a rash of corruption in the system, vehicle owners have found an easy way to circumvent the law by paying bribes to get their cars registered at LTO even without having them tested at all. An additional issue is to allow bus and heavy trucks, jeepneys and other various smog belching vehicles of the Philippines to get a ‘free pass’ – they in fact are the issue at hand.

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Not only has countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and other Asian countries seen it, they have ultimately changed the course of their Smog issues – but the Philippines seems to be happy to just sit back and let cities with “No Smoking” bans on tobacco products kill its people by ingesting smog 24/7.

“This is why we have lots of smoke-belching vehicles plying our roads. These smoke belchers continuously pollute the air we breathe, causing life-threatening respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, especially among children and the elderly,” said Atienza, a practicing pediatrician.

Atienza and his group met with Abaya and LTO chief Alfonso Tan about the “no show” emission testing problem, during that meeting the group was offered a “Sure-Fire” solution to the problem and put an immediate stop to the corruption – really?

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Abaya said he would involve the use of customized computer software and hardware. Abaya also noted he would study the proposal and immediately act on them – “We are all for clean air and we will do our part,” he said.