Proposed law vs. hitmen-riding-in-tandem backed
LINGAYEN– A proposed provincial ordinance regulating men-riding-in-tandem on motorcycles will soon be passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), according to the law’s author, Sixth District Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr.
This developed as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) manifested their full support to the proposal during a series of hearing conducted by the committee on laws and ordinances.
Believing that the proposed ordinance will be a boon in the fight against crimes, the LTO and PNP agreed to put up checkpoints from morning to 8:00 p.m. to subject all persons riding-in-tandem to inspection, Bince said.
Bince, a lawyer, said he proposed the measure in view of the alarming statistics from the police that from January to June this year, there were 39 shooting incidents perpetrated by hitmen-riding-in-tandem (HRIT).
The PNP also reported that from 2011 to 2012, there were 101 victims of HRIT and not one of the perpetrators was arrested or identified, primarily for lack of identification, as the motorcycles that the killers used had no plate numbers.
MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION
According to Bince, the local motorcycle association protested and maintained that the proposed ordinance violates one’s human right and discriminates against travellers on a motorcycles, but he defended the proposed ordinance saying that a certain amount of leniency will be accorded to those using registered vehicles with legitimate plate numbers.
Among the considerations would include one of the riders as licensed owner of the motorcycle riding his/her own registered motorcycle and one or two of the riders of the motorcycle must be a registered driver; and not one of riders is under the influence of liquor or drugs.
“Cases must be filed against those who violate the rules provided in the ordinance, ” Bince said.
An ad hoc committee has been created by the provincial board to fine tune the proposed ordinance.
The ad hoc committee is composed of the legal officer of the PNP, the regional director of the LTO, a representative from the Pangasinan Motorcycle Riders Association, and Provincial Legal Officer Geraldine Baniqued as the chair person.
“We will sophisticate the ordinance but definitely we will pass it,” Bince said, noting that one issue they have already resolved was what constitutes men-riding-in-tandem.
Riding-in-tandem would constitute there being two riders, even if one disembarks before a checkpoint, and both could be charged in court for any violation of the regulations.
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