Anti-crime group seeks temporary ban on ‘riding in tandem’ on motorcycles

MANILA, Philippines—An anti-crime group on Tuesday called on the law-enforcement authorities to do something about the “continuous and rampant” drive-by shootings perpetrated by motorcycle-riding assailants, referred to by police as “riding-in-tandem gunmen.”

The Quezon City-based Volunteers against Crime and Corruption, in a statement, said the government should temporarily ban people from riding in tandem on motorcycles while measures are being crafted against what the anti-crime group admitted as an “effective modus operandi” by criminal syndicates and guns for hire.

Jimenez cited the “alarming increase” in the past months of murders and robberies involving hoodlums riding in tandem on board motorcycles. He said he was “particularly horrified” at the recent incident in Marikina City last January where suspects pumped bullets into their victim, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority field officer Cesar Bacani, while another two motorcycle-riding criminals acted as look-outs.

On March 30, a businesswoman, Sherlyn Tan, was shot in the head and neck by two suspects, also in Marikina, using the same modus operandi.

Jimenez also cited shooting incidents that occurred in a single day—April 1—involving four victims: Jayson Siao, a student from General Santos City, who was shot dead by two robbers on board a motorcycle when the victim resisted the robbers’ attempt to divest him of his cellphone; James Pardo, 34, who was killed by two gunmen on a motorcycle in Pasay City; businessman Rey Tuniacao, also killed by two armed men on board a motorcycle who barged into his house in Barangay (village) Talisay, Quezon City; and policeman Gerardo Garcia, who was killed inside his house in Caloocan City by three suspects who fled on board two motorcycles.

Suspects on motorcycles also involved in robbing a money-changing shop and killing a guard at the Robinsons Galeria Mall in Quezon City last month.

“Criminals are getting bolder and quicker using motorcycles, the crimes more frequent and brutal with this kind of modus operandi. We should put a stop to this. This gruesome killing sprees committed by motorcycle-riding killers in tandem, so bold as to strike even on open roads in broad daylight is unprecedented. It is a rising phenomenon to which the government should promptly take action,” Jimenez said.

“The government should ban first the riding of motorcycles in tandem until an effective way to stop it is developed by law enforcers,” Jimenez suggested, adding that with their motorcycles, suspects could easily dart in and out of the crime scene and make their escape.

He said he believed that in many cities in Metro Manila, drive-by shootings committed by suspects riding in tandem occur every week.

“The mobility of motorcycles is an advantage to criminals. When met with other methods like wearing hoods or masks to conceal their identities, solving crime cases is rendered even more difficult. With the kind of crime situation we have, we have to resort to more preventive measures other than those being used by law enforcers which are weak and slow,” Jimenez added.