SENATOR Pia Cayetano and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri have jointly filed a resolution to call on the Senate to probe the viral road rage incident in Quezon City involving an armed dismissed police officer and an unarmed cyclist.
In Senate Resolution No. 763, the two senators asserted that the incident involves public order and safety, which is an important concern for everyone.
“(T)his is a serious case involving public order and safety, which cannot simply be settled amicably and swept under the rug,” according to Cayetano and Zubiri.
The two senators also noted that the incident touches on ‘road sharing,’ a concept that they said is often ignored by motorists.
They added that under this concept, all Filipinos have an equal right to access public roads – including pedestrians, commuters, cyclists, motorcycle riders, and motorists.
“(T)he issue also highlights the safety of cyclists on the road, and the issue of road sharing, a concept that remains ignored by and alien to many Filipino motorists, which means that one must share in the responsibility of ensuring everyone’s safety, as everyone has an equal right to access public roads,” the resolution further read.
In closing, Cayetano and Zubiri pointed out that the Philippines is committed to uphold Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), which seeks a safe, inclusive, sustainable, and progressive society for all.
“It is vital that we protect our cyclists traversing in traffic through the provision of physical barriers to ensure their safety, which is encapsulated in Senate Bill No. 1290, entitled the Walkable and Bikeable Communities Act,” the senators wrote in their resolution.
A cyclist herself and a lawyer, Cayetano is the principal author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1290, which the Senate has passed on third reading. The bill is still awaiting similar action by the House of Representatives.
