Duterte rejects Cebu’s plan to allow motorcycle backriding

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has turned down the Cebu governor’s plan to allow back riding in motorcycles, saying he could not ignore the laws of the country.

“You know, much as I would like to accommodate Governor Garcia and the board members, here’s what I can say: If I begin to give an exemption to one… I will open myself to charges of anti-graft law, giving another an undue advantage,” Duterte said in an address aired Friday.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has said she would proceed with her plan to allow back riding on privately owned motorcycles in the province despite a warning from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“The law is hard but it is the law. We can’t do anything,” Duterte said. “It’s not my discretion. Just because I’m the President doesn’t mean I can ignore the laws of the land.”

Malacañang said local government units (LGUs) cannot override the policy on backriding formulated by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Several LGUs have asked the IATF to allow family members to back ride on motorcycles amid shortage of public transportation due to lockdown measures.