Coun. Abalos: anti riding-in-tandem ordinance 'open for suggestions'

Any better ideas?

The City of Mandaluyong sits right in the heart of Metro Manila. A lot of times for our daily rider-commuters, passing by this city is unavoidable. Yet for those with a pillion, passing here may result in a fine because the city is so far, the only city in the Philippines to ban riding-in-tandem if the rider and pillion are both males.

Mandaluyong City has an anti riding-in-tandem ordinance that prohibits any male from riding pillion (passenger) on a motorcycle within the city limits, unless he is a first-degree relative e.g.: son or father or a child between 7-10 years of age. Should the rider or backrider fail to prove that they are related in the first degree of consanguinity, they will be brought to the local PNP Criminal Investigation Unit for further investigation and verification. Exemptions to this rule are female passengers with male riders or female passengers with female riders. The ordinance was enacted to prevent crimes, such as theft, mugging, murder, or other crimes perpetrated by male suspects riding in tandem on motorcycles. 

While the ordinance is derided by the motorcycle community at large, in contrast, it is praised by Mandaluyong's residents who say that the incidents of riding-in-tandem related crimes have dropped significantly.

During a chance interview by MotoPinas.com at the Safer Mobility and Logistics Conference & Exhibition in Solaire Manila, with Pilipinas Shell as one of the sponsors, Councilor Charisse Marie Abalos-Vargas or simply "Councilor Abalos," said that the anti-riding-in-tandem ordinance like all things, “is not permanent” and is open for suggestions, amendments or revisions.

^{From left: Forum moderator and PBA courtside reporter, Rizza Diaz, Mandaluyong City Councilor, Charisse Marie Abalos-Vargas, and Oliver Ortega, General Manager for Health, Safety, Security & the Environment - Pilipinas Shell.}

This was in response to a question about the the Tiger City's plans to amend or abolish the said ordinance in the future. Some riders lamented it to be a “discriminatory ordinance.”

“From the time we've implemented the [anti] riding-in-tandem ordinance back in 2014, motorcycle-related crimes dropped significantly to ZERO CASES,” said the councilor in Filipino.

She further added that, although it saddens them that they had to enact such an ordinance, it was based on the data collected by the Philippine National Police (PNP) that 100% of the riding-in-tandem criminals they captured were both males, composed of a male rider and pillion. It proved to be a challenge for the authorities to identify these suspects who, unfortunately, use the motorcycle as a means to commit their crimes.

“We are open-minded and our doors are open for suggestions or revisions for the anti-riding-in-tandem ordinance,” added the Councilor. She also hopes that Mandaluyong City, the PNP, the motorcycle community and all concerned stakeholders could soon find common ground and work together to fight these criminals who give motorcycle riders a bad name.