‘Another one’ & another & another...

After sending out my column “Presumed Guilty Until You Settle,” our Opinion section editor Doreen Yu sent a message and titled it “another one.” Doreen was referring to a similar vehicular accident, this one in Cebu City as reported by ABS-CBN online. Allow me to print the report in order to provide context:

“CCTV footage of the incident showed both vehicles were traveling at high speed and collided head-on. The motorcycle swerved left to bypass (overtake) another motorcycle in front. Upon reaching at a certain point, he collided head on while the car was just running straight on his lane, on (the) opposite direction,” Police Lt. Christian Torres, spokesperson for the Lapu-Lapu City Police, said.

“The impact caused the motorcycle driver to be thrown to the ground, sustained severe injuries and was immediately taken to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

“The car driver will face charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and damage to property.”

While doing my research on the subject, a DOTr employee shared his experience in a barangay in Angono, Rizal where he was making a proper U-turn when a motorcycle rider slammed into the rear of his car. At the nearby barangay, he was told that he was responsible for the accident and should just settle with the motorcycle rider who hit him from behind.

This is an example of bias among many law enforcers and traffic enforcers, many of whom own and ride motorcycles and are sympathetic to people of the same economic class as they are.

Here’s another. A motorist was driving along a main road between Talisay and Tanauan City, Batangas when an oncoming motorcycle was doing high speed zigzags. The car owner tried to avoid the drunk rider by staying on the right most lane, but it did not help because the rider had reached such a high speed, flew off his bike and slid right under the car.

The car owner was also charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and detained as his traumatized children watched. Fortunately for him, a couple of influential individuals managed to get the mayor to step in and ordered the release of the innocent driver, who still had to make a donation for burial expenses.

Every day all over the Philippines, we see motorcycle riders counterflow, ride between cars or two lanes which is called “lane splitting,” many ride while viewing their cellphones in violation of the anti-distracted driving law. In recent years, motorcycle crashes has been reported as the #9 cause of death among Filipinos. Another report claims that many of those who die are in their most productive years.

But what is the LTO chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza, doing about this growing menace to all? In the same manner, what is the Philippine National Police and the Highway Patrol Group doing besides summarily filing charges of “reckless imprudence” even on innocent individuals?

In every province I go to in the Philippines, it is now a common sight to see motorcycle riders without helmets. Last week a new video came out of two riders on a small displacement bike speeding on an expressway. Has the LTO been downgraded to licensing and registration only? If so, then give the funds for law enforcement to another DOTr group that can and will do the job.

Responsible riders and insiders point out that the LTO has accredited driving schools required to have tracks and testing centers for riders. But the system is not properly and strictly implemented. LTO officers or employees do not directly look into or check the operations of schools and test tracks, etc.

As for the PNP/HPG, here is an example of what people think:

“Dear Mr. Cito,

“I’d like to point out another point: In all my years of driving, over 40 I think, within Metro Manila and in the countryside, I have this opinion that I seem to have NEVER seen motorcycle cops do their work of really patrolling our highways. Never seen one apprehending an errant driver. Never seen one attending to a vehicular breakdown or accident (I assume this is within their job scope, to at least coordinate assistance to those who need it). My impression is that 99 percent of the time, they are just escorts of ‘VIPs’ and ‘wannabe VIPs.’ And I assume they get paid for it pa, or are given ‘tips,’ on top of their salaries. Very sad, and such a waste of resources. Not to mention being a constantly insulting sight to us the hoi polloi regular motorists. I would like to add, never seen one RUN AFTER criminals.”

What is DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos and DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa doing to inform and educate Filipinos about one of the Top Ten Killers of Filipinos that can be avoided and prevented? To his credit, then DOH Sec. Juan Flavier campaigned against “Yosi Kadiri” and “Iwas putok” and made a difference.

What is DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan doing to establish or construct dedicated lanes for the 11 million “official count of motorcycles?” Excuses won’t save lives, engineering solutions will.

When I started writing about the issue, my concern was the injustice and misapplication of the law and blame on innocent victims. But studying the matter further, I was shocked by the number of Filipinos dying in motorcycle-related collisions.

I am upset by the false accusations and burdens on innocent drivers and just as worse is the indifference and inaction of government officials and agencies to recognize the fact that we now have anarchy and a national disaster that kills thousands every year! We must hold this government, the Marcos administration, accountable for spending too much time and too much money on international affairs while failing to protect Filipinos from the anarchy in our streets!

*      *      *

E-mail: [email protected]