Medellin mayor eyes regulating drag racing

CEBU, Philippines - For safety of drivers in Medellin, Mayor Ricky Ramirez wants to regulate drag racing, which is reportedly common in the town on Saturday nights.

 “We might as well regulate it and deploy marshals, di man gyud na sila mohunong ana. If we can’t beat it, let’s join them nalang matud pa,” said Ramirez in an interview.

 Ramirez, in his Facebook account, told drag racers to come to his office to talk about the re-gulation, offering to provide race marshals, a medic team with an ambulance and others.

 “Kamu ba nga taga Bogo (City) nga hilig kaayu anang lumba sa motor unya magpundok dayun kada sabado sa gabii diha sa simangan sa central sa highway. Dayun baya ninyug sibat ug maagi ko. Gusto man gyud mu nga ari Medellin maglumba kay tingali sad hayag man atong highway unya ang sa inyuha mura’g ang kalimutaw ray musiga pwes pagpundok mu ug pag-organisar mo’g grupo dayun aria ko sa opisina kay himoan nato ug kasabotan nga matag sabado sa gabii ipahigayun nang inyung lumba sa motor,” read the mayor’s Facebook post dated Sunday.

 Ramirez said he would, however, collect certain fees for payment of the personnel he would deploy as this is additional work for them, explaining that the drag racing has been ongoing for a long time already.

Although the highway is usually empty of vehicles from 12 a.m. to 1 a.m. when drag races are usually done, the racers are still exposed to danger because of the nature of the activity.

Ramirez said this is why he offered to provide marshals to regulate traffic during the race.

 The mayor said at least 200 people gather on Saturday nights to watch and participate the event. At least 50 of them are racers, he said.

 Ramirez said he believes some of these racers are from the neighboring Bogo City and Daanbantayan town as he saw some of them going to the direction of that city and town after the race.

He said the Medellin police tried several times to arrest the racers, but they always got away as their vehicles are faster than the police cars.

 He said since the bets could go as much as P20,000, he believes these racers could afford the minimal fee that he would ask to pay for the security personnel.

 “Mas maayo man ma-regulate like sa pista. Postingan nato og mga marshal ug ambulance. Bisa’g unsaon di gyud na sila mohawa, mao na’ng mas maayo naay supervision,” he said. (FREEMAN)