DUMAGUETE CITY, June 30 (PIA) -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be enforcing the "No Backride Policy” throughout Negros Oriental.
PNP Negros Oriental Highway Patrol Group (HPG) Chief PCPT. Saturnino Sedigo Jr. underscored that it is about time to implement this national policy which was first implemented in March but was temporarily suspended for three months to give more time to inform the public on this.
“The policy started last March. Three months wala ta nag-conduct na dakop. Wala nato gi-implement. Sa three months siguro taas naa siguro na information dissemination (The policy started last March. We haven’t conducted any enforcement. We did not implement it that time. I think three months is enough for information dissemination activities),” Sedigo said.
The “No Backide Policy” is outlined in the Department of Transportation (DOTr)’s guidelines for road transport sector in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) to ensure compliance to safety measures and prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
PMaj. Miguel Andeza of the PNP Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office cited those who will be apprehended for violating the national policy will be penalized for overloading in relation to the Bayanihan Act.
“Ang charge ana is overloading. Ang gi-allow nila is only one (sa) single (na motor) and sa tricycle only one passenger so kung moduha ka na, overloading na na siya. The same sa single motor. Pagnag-add ka ug usa it will be considered as overloading (The charge for that is overloading. What they allowed in the national level is only one person riding a single motor. For tricycles, they only allow one passenger inside. If the driver picks up another passenger then the number of the people inside his vehicle is two, then that could be considered as overloading. It’s the same with single motor. If you have a backride, that is too, is considered overloading),” Andeza explained.
Sedigo noted that this policy against overloading and backriding was formulated since the entire nation is faced with the threat of COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ngano gibawal ang overloading karon is because we under the pandemic. Gibuhat gane ang balaod kaning R.A. 11469 at the same time mao sad nay guidelines sa atong National Inter-Agency Task Force so didto na-come up ngano ginadili ang backride kay mo-observe ug physical distancing ug sila na sad naghatag ug pila ang penalty ana (Overloading is strictly prohibited this time because we are under the pandemic. We have R.A. 11469 which also serves as the general guidelines for our National Inter-Agency Task Force. From there, they came up with the No Backride Policy because they want to make sure that physical distancing is observed. They also came up with the penalties for it),” Sedigo emphasized.
The HPG will issue a Temporary Operator’s Permit (TOP) to persons apprehended for violating the “No Backride Policy.”
“Sa HPG, ang atong gikuptan karon is TOP. In TOP, naa portion didto na others. Amo ibutang didto overloading then naka-specify didto Bayanihan Heal As One Act and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) sila na ang nanghatag didto ug pila ang penalty pero dire sa fines and penalties is P2,000 (What we issue in the HPG is a TOP. There’s a portion in the TOP where we can indicate other violation. We will write in overloading in view of Bayanihan Heal as One Act in that portion and the LTO will then be the agency in-charge in enforcing a penalty to the apprehended individual but based in the fines and penalties they have to pay P2,000),” Sedigo elaborated.
PNP is expected to implement this national policy anytime from now.
Sedigo also disclosed that HPG officers had their deputation orders renewed so that they can enforce the said policy.
However, for the part of the PNP Provincial Police Office, Andeza said they have already requested LTO to deputize some of their officers to augment the HPG in implementing this national policy.
“So far, we were directed by LTO to submit those PNP personnel na nag-undergo na ug seminar for request for the deputation order (So far we were directed by LTO to submit those PNP personnel who had undergone seminar for deputation. This is in relation to our request to grant us deputation order),” Andeza stated. (ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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