Dads ask Congress to amend Probation Law

Through a resolution, the 20th City Council headed by Vice Mayor Jocelyn B. Rodriguez requested Congressman Lordan G. Suan of the city’s First Congressional District and Congressman Rufus B. Rodriguez of the Second District to file a bill in Congress for the further amendment of PD 968 also known as “The Probation Law of 1976”.

Specifically, the City Council urged Congress to increase the penalty of offenders who are disqualified to avail of the benefits of the said decree from a fine of more than P1,000 to a fine of more than P5,000.

The resolution is an offshoot of the special report of Councilor Jose Pepe S. Abbu, Jr. on the unfavorable repercussion of the judicial fine imposed for traffic violations in the city, which ranges from 3,000 to 5,000.00.

During the regular session on Monday, Councilor Abbu cited that the Probation Law is a special privilege granted by the state to a qualified offender.

If an offender is qualified to avail the probation, he will be released from imprisonment provided that he complies with the conditions imposed by the court under the supervision of the probation officer, said Councilor Abbu.

Under the Traffic Code, Councilor Abbu said a traffic violator will have to pay a fine of P1,000, P3,000 or P5,000. However, if this will not be paid within 72 hours, traffic violation will be filed in court.

According to Councilor Abbu, traffic violators who failed to pay their administrative fines are usually penalized by the courts with a fine of 3,000, making them ineligible to avail of the privilege of probation should they are convicted of a different criminal offense because of his prior conviction.

“Anugon nga this privilege cannot be availed anymore just because of the violation of the traffic code,” Abbu pointed out.

”Dili lang ang atong katawhan sa dakbayan ang makabenepisyo niini, maskin asa sa nasud makabenepisyo,” he concluded.