The Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) has asked the Supreme Court to permanently stop the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) from implementing the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) project.
The AAP said the RFID program should be declared as invalid and unconstitutional based on the following grounds:
1. "The RFID system is an invalid exercise" by government as it affects vehicle owners' rights to property and privacy, which are protected by the Constitution
2. The DOTC, Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Stradcom Corp. failed to get an approval from the National Economic and Development Authority on the accurate fee for the RFID tag
3. No public bidding was conducted and the Memorandum of Agreement between the three parties was not published, submitted to NEDA for approval nor recommended to the President
4. There is no guarantee that information obtained for the RFID system will not be used to intrude with motorists' privacy.
The LTO earlier said the RFID key to revolutionizing land transport as it provides necessary information which will allow government to improve its vehicle registration system, track carnapping activities and even help reduce air pollution. It started collecting P350 from motorists who are registering or renewing the registration of their vehicles in January. Two weeks later, the Supreme Court released a restraining order preventing the LTO from collecting RFID fees given the constitutional concerns in the tagging system.
