Motorcades and caravans are becoming the new normal way of early campaigning, a show of force so it seems. A group of vehicles, motorcycles, and even bikes converge in one area during a weekend (or a national holiday) and collectively drive in one direction to reach a certain point. The destination is not important since the journey is the one that matters.
Whether one supports a particular candidate or not, the journey of a motorcade brings a tremendous “pressure” on our roads. A recent motorcade in Quezon City saw all lanes of an avenue filled with participants, impeding the movement of buses, jeepneys, and private vehicles. Anyone is free to organize, join, or promote a caravan, but how about those who earn a living on the road such as public utility drivers or those delivering goods and products? Even with prior announcements on social media, a lot of working citizens were still stuck on the roads and had no recourse but to go back to their homes, losing a day’s pay.
With the popularity of motorcades and caravans these days, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) recently issued guidelines for parties and organizations seeking to hold these kinds of events. Among the rules, include: “The MMDA shall regulate, evaluate, and issue permits for motorcades and/or caravans in major thoroughfares in the National Capital Region (NCR). The concerned local government units (LGU) will be in charge of such activities in all other roads;” “Motorcades and/or caravans shall only be permitted during weekends and holidays, and only between 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.;” and “Organizers would need to apply for a Roadway Private Utilization Permit (RPUP) with the MMDA and/or the concerned LGUs.” In order to get the RPUP, the organizers should have definite answers when it comes to date, time, route, number of vehicles participating, program of activities, etc.
The released guidelines have earned criticisms from some sectors who say that it was “retaliatory” on a certain candidate or “beneficial” to others who may not have the numbers to show during motorcades or caravans. Whatever side one may choose to believe in, there is nothing unethical in implementing rules on the road, especially one that is used by the general public.
One significant point in the MMDA guidelines is the call for the organizers of motorcades to still observe health protocols set by the country’s pandemic task force. Though the country is currently experiencing a “respite” in the number of new COVID cases, the pandemic is not yet declared over. And if there’s one effective tool to fight the virus, social distancing is necessary, which is sometimes forgotten during these types of campaign sorties. So the question is, how can they properly observe health protocols? That’s a hard question to answer.
No one can stop a group from organizing an event or converging in a public venue. We are, after all, living in a free country. But our freedom has limitations and it is within the boundaries of the law. Public roads and public spaces must, at all times, be used prudently so that people who have livelihoods, appointments, or essential tasks are not troubled and disturbed by the ruckus of a motorcade — or worse, have their health at risk because of the crowd of a caravan.