Stiffer reckless driving penalties urged

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III on Saturday called on Congress to pass a law that seeks to deprive reckless drivers of the benefit of probation for criminal offenses, citing the rising cases of traffic deaths. Pimentel filed Senate Bill No. 1016, which mandates that any person accused of the death of another due to the former’s imprudence or negligence should not be eligible for probation. He appealed for support from his colleagues for the passage of his bill, which seeks to impose stiffer penalties against reckless drivers. —MELVIN GASCON