By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

MOTORISTS arrested for drunk driving would also have their vehicles impounded under a new bill that seeks to establish tougher drunk-driving law on Guam.
"We found out from the Guam Police Department that some people cited for driving while intoxicated early in the evening would go back to their cars and get pulled over again on the same night or early morning. You can't put an intoxicated person behind the wheel," said Minority Leader Judi Won Pat, D-Maloloj, author of Bill 11.
The bill would authorize GPD to impound for 12 hours the vehicle of the person charged with DUI. The vehicle owner would be allowed to retrieve the impounded vehicle only after paying the towing fee.
The bill also requires GPD to issue responsibility warnings to those who take custody of DUI suspects, informing them of their potential civil and criminal liability if they help the offenders resume driving while still impaired.
Won Pat also revived a related "zero tolerance" bill that she introduced in the 28th Legislature.
Bill 10 expands Guam's current DUI law by providing comprehensive measures and stiffer penalties for drunk driving. The bill's salient provisions include the lowering of legal limit of alcohol content level from .08 to .07 for commercial vehicle and school bus drivers.
It also seeks to punish minors who are caught drinking. Any student found with blood alcohol content of .02 or more would be turned over the Division of Youth Affairs' custody. It also holds parents and guardians responsible for "knowingly allowing" children below 18 to consume alcohol.
This bill also seeks to impose longer jail terms and stiffer penalties for people convicted of DUI more than two times within five years.
"I introduced this bill again because it was never heard during the 28th Legislature," Won Pat said.