LTO-7 Director Victor Caindec
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Regional Director Victor Caindec of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) has called on local government units (LGUs) to forego the grant of exemptions should they decide to allow backriding in motorcycles even against the advice of the national Interagency Task Force (IATF).
The national government’s position remains on the ban against backriding on motorcycle in observance of physical distancing measures. However, several LGUs now seek to allow backriding for immediate family members.
Read: Cebu mayors renew appeal to allow backriders on motorcycles
Caindec, in a live stream on his Facebook account, said that imposing exemptions on who should be allowed to carry backriders on motorcycles will only further create risks when the motorists are being checked for IDs in checkpoints.
“Kung mag-allow ta og backride, i-allow na nato tanan. Dili na ingon nga pamilya, tagaan og ID. Ang dili makakuha og ID, luoy kaayo? ” Caindec said.
(If we allow backriding, let us allow it for everyone. Let us not say that it is for family members only and that they will be given IDs. What about those who will not be given IDs?)
Read: Chan to IATF: Allow backriding for family members
Caidec said that as per experience in LTO-manned checkpoints, several motorcycle drivers and their backriders would say that they are common-law partners, a claim that they cannot substantiate with documentary proof.
“Wa koy personal nga objection ana. Pero kung mo-allow ang LGU og backride, ang akong hangyo, kung man gani ila nang barugan, ayaw nang daghan of exemptions kay tanan manginanhanglan man og transportation,” he added.
(I do not have personal objections against backriding. But if the LGU allows backriding, I appeal that they do not make several exemptions because everyone needs transportation.)
But while several areas in Central Visayas remain under community quarantine, Caindec said that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will still not allow backriding in motorcycles.
“Duha ka opisyal sa DOTr akong nahinabi ani, it will create a lot of risks kung mag-exemptions unya mag-check-check sa ID, mao nga ang prudent nga desisyon is dili lang usa i-allow hangtod nga naka-kwarantina ang Lugar,” Caindec said.
(I spoke with two officials of the DOTr on this. It will create a lot of risks if there will be exemptions and there would be a need to check IDs that is why the more prudent decision would be to still disallow backriding while an area is under community quarantine.)
The LTO director added that allowing backriding, which may, in turn, usher the reoperation of motorcycle taxis or habal-habal, may also prompt the Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJ) sector to also ask that they be allowed to operate. / dcb