Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is now seeking the passage of a bill amending the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act or Republic Act No. 12235, stressing the need to balance the welfare of the riding community and to address crime committed by those “riding-in-tandem.”

In his co-sponsorship speech on Senate Bill No. 2555, Dela Rosa pointed out that the line drawn by the law between crime prevention and discrimination is “very thin.”

“There is nothing wrong with penalizing offenders of the crimes they have committed,” Dela Rosa said of the measure. 

“However, it would be downright discriminatory to punish a whole sector for the sins committed by a few. The motorcycle-riding community has done more good than evil,” he pointed out. 

Sen. Francis Tolentino, on Monday, February 19, sponsored Committee Report No. 191 on SB 2555 proposing amending the section on registration of motorcycles by differentiating the case of new ownership from the case of subsequent sale, taking in consideration the several different modes by which ordinary people purchase a motorcycle such as repossessed motorcycles.

The committee report also proposes the installation of RFID sticker at the front portion of the motorcycle instead of the original decal plates under RA 11235 to ensure the safety of the riders. 

The committee report also recommends adjusting the period within which the owner of the motorcycle may report any loss of number plate or RFID sticker; adjusting the penalties of fine and imprisonment to a more reasonable amount and period; and adjusting the transitory provision to June 30, 2025 for motorcycle owners not in conformity with the provisions of SB 2555 to renew their registration, and Dec. 31, 2025 for the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to produce, release, and issue the number plates as required under the proposed measure.

A motorcycle enthusiast himself, the senator lamented that the motorcycle riding community appeared to be singled out when RA 12235 was passed. 

Nevertheless, the public’s perspective on the motorcycle riding sector has changed during the Covid-19 pandemic as they were crucial in delivering essentials, including test kits, food items, medicines, among others. 

“As a motorcycle rider myself, I empathize with the clamor of my fellow riders who raised their concerns, arguing that the said law is, and I quote, 'discriminatory as it singles out motorcycles and seems to generalize that only  motorcycle owners and riders have the propensity to commit a crime,” the lawmaker stressed.

The bill, he said, will help address the discriminatory provision in the law and ease the woes of the motorcycle riding community. 

“We are hitting two birds with one stone: ensuring the safety of our fellow motorcycle riders while promoting the protection of the general public against unscrupulous individuals, those who would rather abuse the advantages of this two-wheeled instrument for their evil intentions,” the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief said. 

“Today, we are given the opportunity to amend issues that might have been overlooked. Let us now think of this amendment as a way for us to provide only the best legislative gear for our riders,” Dela Rosa stressed.