Police defers helmet law imposition in Negros Or.

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  — For the second time this month, the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOrPPO) has yielded to calls of political leaders and the public not to enforce Republic Act 10054 (mandatory helmet law).

NOrPPO deputy director Supt. Alet Virtucio, in last Wednesday's public forum on the law, announced that the police will not make any arrests regarding the wearing of helmets by motorcycle drivers and riders within six months or until the middle of this year.

City legislators also noted a six-month prescribed period under the recently released Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10054 for information and dissemination on the said law.

The IRR states that a period of six months is allotted for the information and education campaign, ending in the month of June. This means that law enforcement agencies could not yet apprehend violators of the law.

NOrPPO director Sr. Supt. Edward Carranza has issued an order not to implement the helmet law for now and Virtucio added that police chiefs who will not heed the order shall be relieved from their positions.

The public has called for the City Council to lead in the signature campaign and petition letter to be addressed to the Congress, and city legislators responded by assuring the public that all efforts will be exhausted to find a legal remedy to prevent the imposition of the law in the city.

As such, city officials led in the campaign and petition to Congress for an amendment of RA 10054, which they said was "impractical" for a city tagged the "motorcycle capital of the Philippines."

Vice Mayor Alan Gel Cordova and most councilors insisted that with the IRR of the RA 10054 being released last December, all other laws, decrees, orders and rules and regulations on the wearing of helmets are no longer valid.

One of this was RA 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, formerly used as reference by the LTO, the PNP and its deputized agents in apprehending motorists not wearing helmets.

Carranza earlier announced the enforcement of RA 10054 in Negros Oriental on January 26, but this was stalled following a request by Governor Roel Degamo for a one-month "moratorium."

In a meeting last week, Carranza and Land Transportation Office-Dumaguete district office chief Roland Ramos agreed to grant the governor's request to postpone the implementation to February 19. (FREEMAN)