House lawmakers propose stiffer road rage penalties

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MANILA, Philippines — House lawmakers are seeking stiffer penalties and regulations to promote responsible driving following a series of road rage cases and deadly vehicular accidents.

On Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation approved the consolidation of five bills seeking to increase the penalties and jail terms for those involved in road rage incidents.

The main bill, House Bill No. 8991, filed by Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo, penalizes road rage suspects with imprisonment of six to 12 years and fines ranging from between P250,000 to P500,000 aside from the damage incurred.

“We will not condone road rage in our streets,” said Tulfo in his sponsorship speech. “We are all aware that the consequences of road rage are dire, often resulting in altercations, property damages, assaults, and collisions that cause physical injuries or even death.”

Tulfo said the bill hoped to plug a gap in legislation as there was no law on road rage cases.

A Metropolitan Manila Development Authority report said that a significant portion of the 72,000 road crashes in the National Capital Region in 2022 were linked to road rage. Davao de Oro Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga also filed a similar bill, which pushes for a penalty of imprisonment of up to 20 years or reclusion perpetua.

The three other House bills related to road rage were filed by San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Rep. Florida Robes, Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas and Iloilo Rep. Julienne Baronda. Fair traffic lawsOn the other hand, 4Ps Rep. JC Abalos of 4Ps Partylist also filed House Bill No. 10128, which seeks to provide more guidelines on fairness in current traffic laws.

READ: Road rage: Deadly encounters that can be avoided

The bill was prompted by a recent accident involving an Asian utility vehicle (AUV) driver who collided with a motorcyclist.

Closed-circuit television footage and the AUV’s dashboard camera showed that the motorcycle rider, who was killed in the accident, had gone against the flow of traffic on the road.

Subsequent reports also showed that he was drunk and not wearing a helmet. Under the current law, the AUV driver is likely to be detained until he can post bail due to the death of the motorcycle rider, despite overwhelming evidence showing his innocence.

According to Abalos, his bill will be “a crucial step toward achieving a fair and just legal process for drivers who find themselves falsely accused in road accidents.”

A similar bill was filed in the 18th Congress by former Rep. Frederick Siao of Iligan City. Abalos’ version, however, incorporates modifications to recognize the rights of law-abiding motorcycle and bicycle riders.