Salvador Panelo thinks ban on pillion riding can curb crimes

Chief Presidential legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, suggested backriding be banned again in order to curb the rise in riding-in-tandem related crime.

“Eh noon ko pa sinabi yan, simple lang naman yan. Ayaw mo ng [riding-in] tandem eh di i-prohibit mo yung may uma-angkas sa motorsiklo mo (I was telling this a long time ago. It's simple. If you don't want riding-in-tandem criminals, then prohibit backriding). ,” said Panelo on Sunday during his program “Counterpoint by Secretary Salvador Panelo”. 

Chief Presidential legal counsel, Salvador Panelo.

 

Panelo added that certain sacrifices should be made, especially to the way of life of the motorcycle-riding public, to ensure that these riding-in-tandem criminals are eradicated. “If we don’t outlaw riding-in-tandem, there will always be shootings, because they can always pretend to be husband and wife, father and son,” added Panelo in Filipino.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has recently launched a new tactical unit, the Tactical Motorcycle Riding Unit (TMRU), which was created with the primary task of countering the threat of riding-in-tandem criminals. They are equipped with their own motorcycles in order to catch the perpetrators.

Back in October of last year, President Rodrigo Duterte called upon the PNP to create an elite unit specifically to level the playing field against these riding-in-tandem criminals.

On the other hand, Panelo admitted that the PNP is indeed a little short-staffed when it comes to manpower and has emphasized that a highly visible police presence would help deter crimes from being committed.

backriding crime panelo riding in tandem