Curfew versus tandem riders on wheels up
WITH the rash of violent shooting incidents in Pangasinan perpetrated by men riding in tandem on a motorbike, the provincial board is mulling an ordinance seeking to impose a curfew for motorcycle tandem-riders.
Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. said he is now drafting an ordinance banning motorcycle tandem-riding along the highways from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. daily in any part of Pangasinan.
Bince, speaking during the breakfast forum “Engkentro” of the Pangasinan Press Club, believes the proposed measure could help curb crimes, which he said has been on an alarming increase over the last few months.
After his privilege speech on Monday calling on Police Provincial Director Percival Barba to act on the killings, Bince said he hopes that the proposed curfew can minimize the killings in the province.
Bince cited the recent shootings of Alice Baun, 62, president of the Kaluyagan Rural Bank and Palaris Colleges; and of Zharlene Yadao, 26, a nurse from Dagupan City, who were both killed by assassins riding tandem on motorcycles.
He maintained that these are not isolated cases as claimed by the police, but are premeditated crimes carried out by guns-for-hire.
Police records indicate, however, that most of the killings perpetrated by motorcycle-riding men, with the back-rider acting as the shooter while the driver maneuvers the vehicle for an easy escape, occurred in broad daylight.
Bince said he has received suggestions to propose an ordinance that will completely ban motorcycle men riding in tandem at any time of the day.
Meanwhile, Bince said he has also requested Governor Amado Espino Jr. to allocate funds for the purchase of a patrol car and five motorcycles for each of the 48 police stations in the province to increase mobility against criminals on wheels.
CHECKPOINTS
At the same time, Police Regional Director Ramon Gatan said he had ordered all police provincial offices to intensify their operations and set up checkpoints against guns-for-hire, five groups of which are believed operating in Pangasinan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.
Barba said the five identified groups have about 50 members, most of whom have already been identified and requests for warrants for their arrests have been filed before the courts.—LM
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