With the enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) failing to prevent cases of motorcycle pillion-riding shootings, Senator Dick Gordon renewed his call for the immediate implementation of the law against it.
Gordon, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, stressed that there should be no dilly-dallying in the enforcement of Republic Act No. 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2019 since the number of riding-in-tandem killings continues to rise unabated.
”These motorcycle-riding criminals will continue to commit these remorseless killings unless it is enforced.”
“The implementing rules and regulations of the law is already there, why is it still not enforced? These motorcycle-riding criminals will continue to commit these remorseless killings unless it is enforced; even the ECQ did not stop them. We cannot let this injustice continue; dead men tell no tales and it is left to us to seek justice for them,” the veteran legislator stressed.
Based on the monitoring conducted by the seasoned lawmaker’s office, there have been 112 victims of motorcycle-riding gunmen from January 1 to July 5. The latest of which were Executive Master Sergeant Arnold Paclibar in Sultan Kudarat and Aladdin Alon in Maguindanao. Both were killed while manning checkpoints in their areas on July 3. On July 2, a 15-year old girl was also gunned down in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur while on her way home from the police station where she had just filed a “molestation complaint” against two policemen from neighboring San Juan town.
“This law will not only make it easier to catch up with these criminals, it would also protect law-abiding motorcycle owners.”
“While motorcycle riders have been essential in keeping the economy going amid the pandemic, we cannot deny that there are criminals who make use of motorcycles to perpetrate crimes. This law will not only make it easier to catch up with these criminals, it would also protect law-abiding motorcycle owners,” said the principal author and sponsor of the law.
“Ang pinalakihan ay ‘yung plaka o number plate sa likod pero ‘yung sa harap decal o sticker na ikakabit to fit the model of the motorcycle. Ang purpose nito ay para madaling matandaan ng mga saksi ‘yung plate number ng motorsiklo kapag ginamit sa krimen,” the senator added.
The Land Transportation Office recently signed a memorandum placing the implementation of the law on hold due to the non-availability of the license plates and stickers compounded by the new coronavirus disease.