Mandaluyong tweaks ban on tandem riding

UNEASY RIDERS Motorcycle users submit themselves to inspection at a police checkpoint in Quezon City after the interior department ordered an intensified campaign against bike-riding criminals. Inquirer file photo by JOAN BONDOC

Mandaluyong City relaunched yesterday its ban on motorcycle tandem riding for men unrelated to each other, after it proved to be an effective crime deterrent in the six months it was enforced.

According to Mandaluyong police chief Senior Supt. Tyrone Masigon, Ordinance No. 550 has resulted in “virtually zero” crimes involving motorcycle-riding men since its implementation in September.

“[Tandem-riding crimes] drastically went down. From a weekly average of two to three crimes, it went down to virtually zero,” Masigon told reporters at the sidelines of the ban’s relaunching under Ordinance No. 595.

Unlike the earlier ordinance which was implemented for just six months, Ordinance No. 595—which was signed by Mayor Benhur Abalos on March 27 and took effect yesterday—will last for the next three years.

It also exempts from the ban “all members of the Philippine National Police tactical and mobile unit assigned or detailed in Mandaluyong City, in the performance of their duty” as well as women, children between seven and 10 years old and male relatives within the first degree of consanguinity.

Abalos, who led a motorcade around the city yesterday to announce the reimplementation of the ban, said that the provision for lawmen was “overlooked” when the first ordinance was implemented in September.

He explained, however, that they didn’t want to have a lot of exemptions in the experimental stage of the ordinance since these may be used by criminals to their advantage.

Masigon, meanwhile, expressed confidence that despite the exemptions, tandem-riding criminals would find it hard to operate in the city even if they pretend to be policemen.

“That will not happen because we know the movement of our troops,” he said. For security reasons, Masigon declined to reveal the composition of the police motorcycle unit.

In his letter to the city council seeking the extension of the ordinance, Abalos said that because of it, “Mandaleños can go out [into] the streets without fear of lawless elements [who] will endanger their lives and property.”

Abalos added that because of the positive effects of the ordinance, various local government units, including the one in Abra province, have approached him to ask how it could be replicated in their localities.

He maintained that the ordinance “tremendously helped” the police force in reducing crimes in the city. Currently, there are only 297 policemen in Mandaluyong City which has a daytime population of 1.2 million.