■ DRIVER’S LICENSE NOW GOOD FOR 5 YEARS, WITH RENEWAL OF 10 YEARS

President Rodrigo Duterte signed yesterday two laws that extend the validity of driver’s licenses and passports. From the current three years, driver’s licenses will now be valid for five years once Republic Act 10930 takes effect. Under this new law, which amends RA 4136, driver’s license holders who have not violated any traffic law shall be entitled to a 10-year renewal, subject to restrictions the Land Transportation Office may impose. The second law President Duterte signed, RA 10928, amends the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 to make regular passports valid for at least 10 years—except for those 18 years old or younger, who will qualify only for five-year passports.

President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday signed into law the measures extending the validity periods of the driver’s license and passport.

Driver’s licenses will now be valid for five years from the current three years while the passport would be good for 10 years instead of the current five years.

Republic Act (RA) 10930, which amended Section 23 of RA 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, provides that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) shall extend the validity period of drivers’ licenses to five years, except for student permits.

It adds that any holder of a professional or nonprofessional driver’s license without any violation of traffic laws, rules and regulations shall be entitled to a renewal of license for 10 years, subject to restrictions as may be imposed by the LTO.

The law also mandates the LTO to make sure that licenses are issued only to “deserving applicants with sufficient driving skills and knowledge on road safety and proper road courtesy.”

Any officer who issues a driv- er’s license without the necessary examinations or connives with ineligible applicants will be removed from the service.

Applicants who willfully misrepresent themselves will be fined P20,000.

Other offenses that will be penalized are: conniving with the LTO officer in the irregular conduct of examinations or issuance of license; falsifying documents; and cheating during examinations.

RA 10928, meanwhile, amended Section 10 of RA 8239 or the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 to make the passport processing system “seamless, convenient and pro-people.”

It provides that regular passports shall be valid for a period of 10 years.

However, a passport with fiveyear validity will be issued to individuals under 18 years of age.

The law also states that the issuing authority may limit the validity period to less than 10 years, “whenever in the national economic or political stability of the country, such restriction is necessary.”