Senate OKs bill declaring day of remembrance for road crash victims

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Monday, Nov. 11, approved on third reading the bill seeking to declare a day of remembrance for road crash victims and their loved ones.

Under Senate Bill No. 1122, every third Sunday of November shall serve as “National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims, Survivors, and their Families.”

The bill said that commemoration of road crash victims, survivors, and their families can be done through religious services, memorials, and other campaigns.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Grace Poe, who also chairs the committee on public services, said that the bill’s approval is fitting as the world remembers this month the lives lost in traffic accidents.

“We hope we get one step closer to serving justice” for victims of road crashes, said Poe.

“Aside from remembering, it is also our duty to proactively prevent such accidents,” she said.

Poe earlier said that remembrance is “a precursor of justice” for road crash victims.

“Remembering road crash victims, survivors and their families will not only prevent them from becoming just another statistic,” she had said.

Records from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) showed that there were 101,428 road accidents in Metro Manila in 2018 alone./TSB