Sotto files bill to ban ‘Batman and Robin’

Vicente Sotto. INQUIRER file photo

In another stunning move by a Philippine senator, Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has filed a bill banning motorcycle back-riders in the country, saying “this evil Batman and Robin tandem” should be stopped for good. Never mind that Batman usually drives a car.

In filing Senate Bill No. 2344, Sotto pointed out the data of the Philippine National Police, which showed that more than 3,000 crimes related to riding in tandem motorcycle riders were recorded last year in Metro Manila alone.

Sotto said news and social media were rife with reports of robberies, murders and other crimes perpetrated by suspects riding in tandem.

“Motorcycle back-riders, most commonly known as the riding-in-tandem criminals have an ample opportunity to commit heinous crimes with impunity because of the facility of getting away from the crime scene by use of a motorcycle which can avoid and wind through even heavy traffic,”    Sotto said in a statement on Tuesday.

“This bill gives law enforcers to flag down the driver and question them,” Sotto said.

Under his bill, any person who violates the provision of the law, upon conviction, would be penalized by up to six years imprisonment and a fine of P20,000 for the first offense and an additional P10,000 for every succeeding offense.

The proposed measure though provides some exemptions― first, if the back riders are spouse, child and parent of the driver, and second, if they members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police personnel who are in duty and in uniform are also exempted.

“This may be frowned upon by some members of society, but we have to think of the higher good of protecting the life and limb of our citizens,” Sotto said.

He said the bill could still be refined and debated upon at the committee level to make it responsive and effective in deterring crime.

“Let’s have an open discussion, argue on the pros and cons and let’s see where this leads us,” said the senator, as he sought the immediate passage of the measure.

This falls right in with the measure to ban the sale of hammers in malls after criminals used hammers in committing robberies. Motorcycle riding organizations and the motorcycle manufacturers will surely make their statements soon.

With report by Maila Ager