Bill banning motorcycle backriders criticized

CEBU, Philippines - Motorcycle riders in Cebu City criticized Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto for sponsoring a bill that would penalize them with P20,000 fine should they allow other persons, aside from the immediate members of their family, to ride on their two-wheel vehicles.

Sotto, who garnered a considerable vote in Cebu, said "this evil Batman and Robin tandem" should be stopped for good, referring to robbers riding in tandem in motorcycles.

Police records show that there are over 3,000 crimes in Manila alone last year related to riding in tandem in motorcycles. The same mode of robbery is being carried out in Cebu City.

According to Sotto, these riding-in-tandem criminals can flee away from the crime scene because they can easily move even during heavy traffic, which prompted him to propose Senate Bill 2344.

Under Bill 2344, any person who violates the provision of the law, upon conviction, would be penalized by up to six years imprisonment and a fine of P20,000 for the first offense and an additional P10,000 for every succeeding offense.

The only exemption is that the backriders are the driver's spouse, child and parent or, if they are members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police who are in duty and in uniform.

While he finds the senator's intention as very laudable, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella is not totally sold out to the bill, saying it might affect the poor families whose only vehicle is motorcycle.

Some motorcycle drivers in Cebu City also described Sotto's proposed bill as anti-poor.

"Mora man hinuon og nag-promote ang senador og wala nay paghigalaay. Kun ang imong amigo nga maglakaw unya naa kay extra helmet, dili ka na makapasakay?" they said.

For Arnel Tancinco, regional director of the Land Transportation Office-7, the proposed law is very difficult to implement.

"Kinahanglang pangitaan pa og marriage or birth certificates ang mga nag-angkas sa mga motor aron pagsuta kun sila sakop ba sa pamilya," he said.

Tancinco further said that the LTO cannot fully implement the law once it is approved because of the limited number of their personnel. — (FREEMAN)