Regulating The Assignment and Issuance of Low-Numbered (Protocol) License Plates to Motor Vehicles Used by Officials of The Republic of the Philippines

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Executive Order No. 400

Assignment of Low-Numbered/Protocol License Plates
- Specifies the officials entitled to use low-numbered/protocol license plates and the assigned number for each position. (Section 1)
• President of the Philippines: 1
• Vice President: 2
• Senate President: 3
• Speaker of the House of Representatives: 4
• Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: 5
• Cabinet Secretary: 6
• Senator: 7
• Congressman: 8
• Associate Justices of the Supreme Court: 9
• Presiding Justice and other Justices of the Court of Appeals: 10
• Chairman of the Commission on Elections: 11
• Cabinet Undersecretary: 12
• Solicitor General: 13
• Chief of Staff, AFP/Chief, PNP: 14
• RTC Judges: 16
- Officials with equivalent rank/position as the listed officials are also entitled to low-numbered/protocol plates, subject to approval by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications upon recommendation of the Assistant Secretary of the Land Transportation Office. (Section 2)

Issuance and Limitations
- Low-numbered/protocol plates shall be issued in pairs for motor vehicles registered in the name of the listed officials or their spouses. (Section 3)
• Not more than two pairs shall be assigned to any official, except for the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. (Section 3)
• Senators and Congressmen may be assigned up to four pairs. (Section 3)

Prohibitions and Penalties
- Assignment or transfer of low-numbered/protocol plates to unauthorized persons or motor vehicles is strictly prohibited. (Section 4)
• Violation shall result in revocation of the privilege, confiscation of the issued plates, and imposition of corresponding penalties under existing laws. (Section 4)

Implementation
- The Assistant Secretary of the Land Transportation Office is authorized to promulgate necessary regulatory measures to implement the order. (Section 5)
- All inconsistent orders, directives, and issuances are deemed amended or modified accordingly. (Section 6)
- The Executive Order takes effect immediately. (Section 7)