MANILA, Philippines — A total of 50 individuals have already been killed during the first 44 days of the year, data presented by Senator Richard Gordon during a Senate hearing on Monday showed.
During the Senate inquiry into the supposedly delayed implementation of a law seen to curb killings perpetrated by motorcycle assailants, Gordon enumerated riding-in-tandem killings across the country, which were recorded almost every day of the year.
The senator said 50 have died, seven were injured while two unharmed since Jan. 1 to Feb. 13.
Of the number, 30 are civilians, nine are police officers, 14 are government officials and employees. Three businessmen, one teacher, one unionist and one lawyer also fell victim to riding-in-tandem crimes.
“Isang buwan pa lang ho ‘yan. Ang dami-dami nang namamatay, ano po ang game plan natin?” Gordon said.
Gordon, chair of the blue ribbon committee, resumed his panel’s hearing on the implementation of the Republic Act No. 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, which he earlier lamented has been “very slow.”
Enacted in 2019, the motorcycle law seeks to secure and safeguard the citizenry from crimes committed using motorcycles by imposing bigger, readable, and color-coded number plates to make it easier for eyewitnesses to identify the number plates of motorcycles used in crimes that they saw.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas told the Senate committee that authorities are currently investigating the incidents Gordon mentioned.
“Ongoing po lahat nung investigations,” Sinas said.
Sinas added that the PNP has already activated a Tactical Motorcycle Riding Unit (TMRU) last Oct. 23.
“Dito po sa NCR, very active po ‘yan,” the PNP chief said.
“Kasama po dito, bawat police station, lalo na sa NCR at highly urbanized cernters, ay meron na pon TMRUs,” he added.