The Manila Police District (MPD), following orders from Mayor Isko Moreno, began confiscating motorcycles with open or modified mufflers.

Lt. Col. Ronald de Leon, MPD Station 1 chief, reported that 13 modified exhaust pipes were confiscated on the first day of enforcement during checkpoints in Tondo.

De Leon said motorists passing through Manila’s streets with excessively loud engines will be flagged.

Officers will use decibel meters to determine if the noise levels violate city ordinances. Failing vehicles will have their mufflers seized, and an ordinance violation receipt will be issued.

Confiscated items will be held at the MPD headquarters as evidence should violators contest the citation before the Manila Traffic Adjudication Section under the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau.

Mayor Moreno clarified that motorcycles with 400cc engines and above are exempt from the ordinance.

Asked whether sellers and installers of open mufflers will be penalized, Moreno said the violation lies in the act of using the illegal equipment. Therefore, only the motorcycle operators will be sanctioned.

Moreno, a motorcycle enthusiast himself, stressed the need for order and peace in the city.

“We need to bring back order and quiet to Manila. This city was once dirty and neglected — people just want to rest after work, but the peace is shattered by the noise of motorcycle races,” he said.