EDITORIAL - The man, the gun, and the motorcycle

A sudden surge of gun killings has again descended on Cebu, sparking yet once more that old yet still unresolved chicken-and-egg debate about whether it is guns that kill or the people who use them.

Into that debate, however, must be introduced a heretofore largely unacknowledged accessory to the killings -- the getaway vehicle, which almost always happens to be a motorcycle, which in most places in the country can easily be had for a song.

Unless the killings are random, which in the case of Cebu they are not, a planned killing needs to factor in the getaway. And because in virtually all of the killings a motorcycle is the favored means to flee, no attempt to stop or minimize the killings can ignore motorcycles.

Motorcycles are favored by killers because they allow for quick getaways, given the ability of motorcycles to weave in and out of traffic. More importantly, the cheapness and ease with which motorcycles can be acquired now makes them almost disposable.

There are many motorcycle dealers who, for as low as 1,500 pesos, allow just about any Tom, Dick and Harry to drive away with a motorcycle, probably without any questions being asked. There is a need to restudy this practice.

Competition among motorcycle dealers is very stiff. This is the reason for the price wars and the almost zero background checking of potential buyers that, unwittingly, opened windows of opportunity for those with criminal intent to finds the means to help carry out evil plans.

Perhaps dealers should be required to put in place more documentation covering relevant information about buyers that can then be made mandatory for furnishing to authorities. Maybe buyers may even be required to produce police or NBI clearances first before a sale is okayed.

This way, the ownership of motorcycles involved in crimes can be traced more easily. More importantly, with greater documentation and information gathering, plus prior police or NBI clearances, those with a criminal bent might be deterred from committing “traceable” crimes.