CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The drivers’ safety should not be compromised in solving criminality.
Land Transportation Office of Northern Mindanao (LTO-10) officer-in-charge Ferdinand Flores made the statement in reaction to Cagayan de Oro Police Office’s (COPCO) proposal to implement non-wearing of helmets in the city proper to lessen the crime.
“Solving the criminality by our police is by implementing their laws and their system,” stressed Flores during a media forum on Thursday (May 19).
“In regard to the LTO, we will continue to support national law until it is amended to revise,” he added.
In an interview over a local radio station here, COCPO director Col. Aaron Mandia said they were planning to submit a proposal to the upcoming city council to adopt a policy requiring motorcycle riders not to wear helmets within the city.
Mandia said the police would have a better way in identifying the crime suspects, considering that most of the prime incidents in the city involved motorcycles, specifically riding-in-tandem.
“Based on the prime incidents here, all of the incidents with motorcycles, were wearing helmets; just to their identity. That’s my favor to the next city council that maybe we can adopt the no wearing of helmets within the city,” Mandia said in vernacular.
Under the Republic Act (RA) No. 10054 or the ‘Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009’, section 3, all motorcycle riders, including drivers and back riders, shall at all times wear standard protective motorcycle helmets while driving, whether long or short drives, in any type of road and highway.
In the same media forum, James Andrade, the public affairs officer of the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) of Cagayan de Oro echoed the statement of LTO and underscored the importance of wearing a helmet as it would reduce fatal injuries.
However, Andrade said RTA is willing to follow if the said proposal will be approved.
“If this will be approved here in the city proper, the RTA will always abide by the guidelines. But as to the safety issues, it is very safe to wear a helmet,” Andrade said.