Over the radio, I listened to Land Transportation Office (LTO) top honcho Alberto Suansings explanation that protocol

plates are issued in order to recognize important government functionaries. According to him, the plates are so sacred and to cite an example, the president's plate (1) should only be installed in the vehicle with him/her on board. In the event that the vehicle malfunctions and chief executive transfers to another vehicle, the plate number 1 in the stalled vehicle should be covered.Protocol/High-ranking government plates. These plates are blue D or DD plates reserved for the top government officials of the Republic of the Philippines. 1/PANGULO - President- benigno simeon cojuanco Aquino iii 2 - Vice President-jejomar binay 3 - Senate President-juan ponce enrile 4 - Speaker of the House of Representatives-feliciano r. Belmonte jr. 5 - Chief Justice of the Supreme Court-renato corona 6 - Cabinet SecretariesThe following are the different departments of the Philippine government, and the names of their secretaries.

Department of Land Reform - Sec. Nasser C. Pangandaman Department of Agriculture - Sec. Arthur C. Yap Department of Agrarian Reform - Officer-in-Charge Sec. Nasser C. Pangandaman Department of Budget and Management - Sec. Rolando G. Andaya, Jr. Department of Education - Sec. Jesli A. Lapus Department of Energy - Sec. Angelo T. Reyes Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Sec. Lito Atienza Department of Finance - Sec. Margarito B. Teves Department of Foreign Affairs - Sec. Alberto G. Romulo Department of the Interior and Local Government - Sec. Ronaldo V. Puno Department of Health - Sec. Francisco T. Duque III Department of Justice - Sec. Raul M. Gonzales Department of Labor and Employment - Sec. Marianito D. Roque Department of National Defense - Sec. Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. Department of Public Works and Highways - Sec. Manuel M. Bonoan Department of Science and Technology - Sec. Estrella F. Alabastro Department of Social Welfare and Development - Sec. Esperanza I. Cabral Department of Tourism - Sec. Joseph H. Durano Department of Trade and Industry - Sec. Peter Favila Department of Transportation and Communication - Sec. Leandro R. Mendoza National Economic and Development Authority - Sec. Ralph G. Recto (Socio-Economic Planning Secretary) Office of the Press Secretary - Sec. Jesus G. Dureza 7 - Senators Mga Senador ng Pilipinas sa Pamamahala ni Pangulong Noynoy aquino Juan Ponce Enrile Senate President Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada -President Pro Tempore Vicente C. Sotto III - Majority Leader Alan Peter Companero S. Cayetano - Minority Floor Leader Emma L. Reyes - Secretary Edgardo J. Angara Joker P. Arroyo Pia S. Cayetano Mirriam Defensor Santiago Franklin M. Drillon Francis "Chiz" G. Escudero Teofisto "TG" Guingona III Gregorio B. Honasan II Panfilo M. Lacson Manuel "Lito " M. Lapid Loren B. Legarda Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos

Sergio R. Osmena III Kiko Pangilinan Ralph G. Recto Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV Manny Villar Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel 8 - Representatives (Congressmen) 9 - Associate Justices of the Supreme Court The 14 associate justices are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Leonardo Quisumbing Consuelo Ynares- Santiago Antonio Carpio Ma. Alicia Austria- Martinez Renato Corona Conchita Carpio- Morales Adolfo Azcuna Dante Tinga Minita Chico- Nazarro Arturo Brion Ruben Reyes Antonio Eduardo Nachura Teresita Leonardo- de Castro Presbitero Velasco Jr. 10 - Presiding Justice and other Justices of the Court of Appeals, Solicitor General (President Arroyo abolished the OSG's protocol plate number '13' by virtue of Executive Order No. 400-A)- AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 400, S. OF 2005, REGULATING THE ASSIGNMENT AND ISSUANCE OF LOW-NUMBERED (PROTOCOL) LICENSE PLATES TO MOTOR VEHICLES USED BY OFFICIALS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, dated January 18, 2005. 11 - Chairman of the Commission on Elections-Atty. Sixto S. Brillantes jr.12 - Cabinet Undersecretary-The Cabinet of the Philippines (Filipino: Gabinete ng Pilipinas, usually referred to as the Cabinet or Filipino: Gabinete) consists of the heads of the largest part of the executive branch of the national government of the Philippines. Currently, it includes the secretaries of 19 executive departments and the heads of other several other minor agencies and offices that are subordinate to the President of the Philippines. The Cabinet secretaries are tasked to advise the President on the different affairs of the state like agriculture, budget, finance, education, social welfare, national defense, foreign affairs, and the like. They are nominated by the President and then presented to the Commission on Appointments, a body of the Congress of the Philippines that confirms all appointments made by thehead of state, for confirmation or rejection. If the presidential appointees are approved, they are sworn into office, receive the title "Secretary," and begin to function their duties. 14 - Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Chief of the Philippine National Police- LIEUTENANT General Eduardo S. Oban Jr. has been appointed by President Benigno S. Aquino III as the 42nd Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), PNPCHIEF- Nicanor A. Bartolome, Ph. D.

17 - First Level Courts (Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court in Cities and Shari'ah Circuit courts), added by Memorandum Order No. 297 signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on March 2, 2009REGULATING THE MANUFACTURE, SALE, DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF PNP UNIFORMS, INSIGNIAS AND OTHER ACCOUTREMENTS

16 - Regional Trial Court Judges