The No Contact Apprehension Policy officially returned across six Metro Manila cities on October 5, 2026, following the full lifting of a Supreme Court temporary restraining order in June 2026. Automated closed-circuit television cameras now monitor traffic violations in Manila, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, San Juan, and Quezon City, while Valenzuela delayed its rollout due to ongoing road repairs. The system seeks to curb corruption and improve traffic by replacing human enforcers with CCTVs.
House Resolution 1490 Questions Enforcement Readiness
As automated traffic enforcement resumes, 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez filed House Resolution No. 1490. The filing asks the House committee on transportation and the committee on Metro Manila Development to evaluate the operational readiness of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and local government units.
Gutierrez pointed out that while the underlying objective of managing traffic is commendable, unresolved discrepancies remain. Lawmakers want to verify whether systems can accurately capture clear violations rather than penalizing motorists caught by faulty road signs or damaged infrastructure. Gutierrez argued that standards for rules, penalties, and appeals should be uniform regardless of which city a driver crosses. He specifically questioned if the policy is fair to riders who work daily on the streets.
Other legislators have joined the call for scrutiny. Senator Francis Escudero and former Senator Grace Poe both urged the MMDA to ensure that concerns regarding the NCAP are addressed before the system continues.
Did You Know? The Supreme Court originally suspended the No Contact Apprehension Policy in August 2022 following data privacy petitions before partially lifting the restriction in May 2025 and removing it entirely in June 2026.
Five Key Areas Targeted for Congressional Oversight
The newly filed congressional resolution directs the two panels to investigate five specific aspects of the automated program. Oversight targets include verifying overall system effectiveness in road safety, reviewing due process mechanisms, and auditing data privacy protocols for stored footage. Gutierrez emphasized that the government must ensure stored footage clearly shows how a violation was committed.
Motorists can check violations through local portals and contest citations within 10 working days at Traffic Adjudication Boards.
Common violations monitored include reckless driving, failure to use seatbelts, disregarding traffic signs, and coding violations under the Unified Vehicle Volume Reduction Program.
Traffic Citations and the Digital Verification System
Motorists traveling through major thoroughfares like EDSA, C-5 Road, and Commonwealth Avenue face active camera monitoring alongside the participating local government units. Other covered areas include Katipunan Avenue, Roxas Boulevard, Quezon Avenue, West Avenue, Marcos Highway, and C-5 Road. Drivers receive real-time notifications via SMS and email, and can check records through the “May Huli Ka” website or the eGovPh app.
Because LGU portals differ from the MMDA platform, drivers must check each city’s specific portal using their plate number and MV file number, or a ticket number if they have a Notice of Violation. In Manila, users must create an account to pay fines. Payments can be made online via QR codes or at local offices.
Unpaid fines left unresolved past 10 working days place an official alarm on the vehicle within the Land Transportation Office system. This prevents registration renewals or ownership transfers until the penalty is settled. While these alarms block LTO transactions, no compounding interest is charged for late payments.
Critics Question Fairness and Transparency of Camera Fines
Critics of the system question whether the cameras target all violators equally. One report noted a member of the motoring media who received 11 notices in a few days totaling more than P35,000. There are concerns that the system may penalize a driver for avoiding an obstruction—such as a jeepney—without also citing the vehicle causing the obstruction for illegal loading or unloading.
There are further calls for transparency regarding who is being fined. Questions remain about whether the system captures “wang-wangs,” blinkers, and convoys, or if it primarily targets ordinary motorists and PUV operators.
Find Active Traffic Violations Using Official Platforms
When did the No Contact Apprehension Policy officially return?
The policy resumed on October 5, 2026, after the Supreme Court fully lifted its temporary restraining order in June 2026.
How can motorists check if their vehicle has an active traffic violation?
Drivers can verify citations by visiting the MMDA platform, the individual LGU web portals, or by using the eGovPh application with their plate and MV file numbers.
What happens if a motorist fails to pay an NCAP fine on time?
Unpaid fines past 10 working days trigger an alarm in the Land Transportation Office system, blocking vehicle registration renewals and ownership transfers.
Outstanding Data Requests
It remains unknown how many notices have been issued to private vehicles versus public utility vehicles, including buses, taxis, trucks, tricycles, and UV Express units. The government has not yet released the total amount of fines collected from each specific group of motorists.
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