A FORMER solon called for urgent and coordinated action from government authorities and ride-hailing platforms before more hardworking riders become victims of crime.
“Every rider who leaves home to earn an honest living deserves to return safely to their family, and we cannot accept a situation where criminals continue to treat motorcycle riders as easy targets,” former Party-list Representative Atty. Nathan Oducado said.
The latest incident involved a motorcycle rider who was stabbed to death during an alleged robbery in Imus, Cavite after responding to a booking, highlighting the continuing vulnerability of riders who place their trust in passengers they have never met.
“Ride-hailing platforms should provide comprehensive insurance coverage, strengthen passenger verification, improve emergency response systems, and deploy in-app safety alerts that immediately warn riders whenever a booking involves an area identified by law enforcement as a crime hotspot,” Oducado stated.
Oducado said ride-hailing applications already possess the technology to issue notifications about traffic congestion, road closures, and severe weather, making it both practical and reasonable to provide riders with real-time warnings whenever they are dispatched to locations that law enforcement agencies have identified as areas with a high incidence of robberies and other violent crimes.
“At the same time, our law enforcement agencies must intensify police visibility, intelligence gathering, and anti-criminality operations in areas where motorcycle riders have repeatedly been victimized because criminals should fear the certainty of arrest rather than expect another opportunity to prey on honest workers,” Oducado stressed.
The Philippine National Police’s annual Crime Situation Reports have consistently listed robbery and theft among the country’s most frequently reported index crimes, underscoring the need for sustained enforcement against criminal groups that prey on motorists, delivery riders, and motorcycle taxi operators.
“Ride-hailing companies cannot limit their responsibility to matching passengers and riders because they must also invest in meaningful safety measures that protect the people whose work sustains their business,” said Oducado.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2023 Labor Force Survey, more than five million Filipinos work in the transportation and storage sector, while the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board continues to recognize motorcycle transport services as an essential component of urban mobility and a vital source of livelihood for thousands of Filipino families.
“Behind every helmet is a fellow Filipino striving to provide for a family through honest work, and they deserve our respect, our protection, and our collective commitment to ensure that earning a living never becomes a death sentence,” Oducado said.
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