Marcos on "road rage" cases: Stop senseless violence on RP roads

Sen. Bongbong Marcos on "road rage" cases: Stop senseless violence on RP roads

Alarmed by the increasing cases of "road rage" killings in the country, Senator Ferdinand 'Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., has filed a bill seeking to prevent the occurrences of senseless violence on Philippine roads.

Being common public property, Marcos said that our roads should be shared by all and should not be a source of conflict among its communal users, who are equally entitled to share in their use.

"However, we cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that these have for several times been the cause, and equally so, the very arena, of hostilities that more often than not have turned violent. We need higher penalties and sanctions and stricter laws and rules on this matter. Driving and anger management education should also be deemed essential in curbing this evil that occurs on the highway," Marcos added

Senate Bill 2329 or An Act Defining the Road Rage hopes to once and for all stamp out road rage as an unnecessary and reprehensible evil, and define such as a circumstance that could aggravate, or even qualify, an offense occasioned by it.

"Senseless violence need not erupt from the road. Road users always begin their respective journeys incognito and as strangers. It is unfortunate if these strangers on the road end up hurting or even killing, each other over a dispute that arise out of spontaneity on a communal road," Marcos explained

As proposed in the SB 2329, road rage offenders shall be subject to administrative proceedings by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for the cancellations of their driver's licenses and lifetime prohibition and disqualification from future issuance of driver's licenses.

In this bill, if physical injuries, damage to property or malicious mischief or threats on the occasion of road rage is committed with the use of a deadly weapon, the crime committed shall be punished with the penalty next higher in degree. The penalty next higher in degree shall also be imposed if the crime is committed by two or more persons. If on the occasion of road rage the offender shall have caused death to the victim, the penalty therefore shall be reclusion perpetua.

"We all know that our roads and traffic conditions here leave so much to be desired and are already a cause of great stress to the users. This stress caused behind the steering wheel should not be allowed to be channelled to the point of infliction of unnecessary injuries upon another," Marcos explained.

The LTO is also mandated to conduct seminar on proper, safe and careful driving and anger management to rage offenders and mandated to carry out trainings and seminars on the same topics to the public on a voluntary basis.