The Supreme Court has partially lifted the temporary restraining order (TRO) on the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), allowing only the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to implement it, SC spokesperson Camille Ting said Tuesday.
The TRO, originally issued in August 2022, covered both the MMDA resolution and local government ordinances.
The court’s recent decision lifts the TRO solely for the MMDA, while it remains in effect for local ordinances.
The policy will be enforced only on major thoroughfares such as EDSA and C5, which are covered by the MMDA resolution, Ting added.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra confirmed the development but said the official resolution has yet to be received.
Kilusan sa Pagbabago ng Industriya ng Transportasyon and other groups sought to declare unconstitutional ordinances in Metro Manila implementing the NCAP.
Ting said the SC En Banc granted the MMDA’s urgent motion to lift the TRO against NCAP last week.
“If you remember, the TRO the court issued last August 2022, the TRO covers the MMDA resolution and the local city ordinances. So the TRO here is only lifted with respect to the MMDA but it still remains with respect to the LGU ordinances,” she said.
“It can only be implemented by the MMDA in major thoroughfares, especially C5 and EDSA,” she added.
The MMDA on Tuesday welcomed the lifting of the temporary restraining order.
“With the announced scheduled massive rehabilitation of EDSA, which is set to commence on June 13, the MMDA expects heavier traffic,” the agency stated.
The reinstatement of NCAP is expected to strengthen the agency’s traffic management along EDSA and other major thoroughfares, utilizing closed-circuit television cameras, digital cameras, and other technology to capture videos and images of traffic violators, record traffic violations, and issue citations.
“As the implementation of NCAP resumes, we hope to instill road discipline among motorists,” the MMDA said.
“Rest assured that the single ticketing system and new NCAP guidelines have addressed concerns raised in the petition,” it added.