During his latest address to the nation, President Rodrigo Duterte – who’s also an avid motorcyclist – has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to train more police officers in motorcycle riding to level the playing field against riding-in-tandem criminals.
“’Pag nakapatay sila, derecho sakay (As soon as murdering someone, they speed off onboard their motorcycles)," the President said.
The President has added that he understands that the police are at a disadvantage in terms of mobility against these criminals since only a few cops are able to respond using motorcycles.
“This is very hard to control. I understand the nightmare the police are facing [on] how to control the mobility of the criminal, right after committing a crime.”
To counter this threat, the President suggests more cops undergo motorcycle training to better respond to crimes and catch the perpetrators more quickly.
“To counter this, more officers must undergo courses in motorcycle-riding, and vehicle capacity for uniformed men must also be augmented,” the President added.
If this pushes through, the PNP-Highway Patrol Group may develop and train additional police officers specifically for countering riding-in-tandem criminals. The President has also suggested that these police officers must be in civilian clothes so that they can blend in crowds, making it difficult for criminals to identify them.
