So you think we've got it tough. Frank Woolf the director of administration and publishing for the Motorcycle Philippines Federation, has been contacting bikers around the world in an attempt to raise their profile in a fight for riders rights in the Philippines. I'd already talked to Frank through email, when we set up a link exchange with http://motorcyclephilippines.com , I was only to glad to help.

I hope you'll join with us in wishing the riders of the Philippines our best wishes and morale support.

Please help by distributing this article.

The Motorcycle Philippines Federation Mabuhay Center, NAIA 1 Complex, Parañaque City, 1780 Philippines. Tel (632) 854 7549 • Fax. (632) 854 7549 mcpf@motorcyclephilippines.com http://motorcyclephilippines.com

Motorcyclists Ride to Protest anti-motorcycle proposals

A counselor in Quezon City proposed a no backriders law. A counselor in Marikina wants to ban full face helmets. Another counselor in Marikina wants riders to register their helmets. A senator wants a law to force riders to paint their plate number on their helmets. We are already banned from the country's safest roads and forced onto the most dangerous roads because over 30 years ago a police rider was killed after he was ordered to remove his safety helmet. On Friday June 10th 2005 hundreds of riders joined in a protest starting in Quezon City to say ENOUGH! We are fed up with laws that put us in serious danger for no good reason. We are fed up with being used as the scapegoat or the excuse when the law is not enforced. We are ready and willing to help in whatever way we can but we will no longer stand by and see innocent riders penalized for the actions of others. For the last six years motorcycle riders in the Philippines have been actively fighting against laws, legislation and even rules dreamed up by construction companies that put motorcycle riders in danger or restrict their freedom as tax paying motor vehicle owners.

The ban on motorcycles using the tollways which are the safest possible roads forces riders to use service roads that are probably the most dangerous in the country and was started over 30 years ago when motorcycle riding presidential escorts were told to remove their helmets and ride wearing straw hats. One had an accident on SLEX and was killed because he was not wearing a helmet so they blamed the road and banned motorcycles from tollways!

Years later after the Makati Regional Trial Court court said the ban was illegal but the PNCC introduced a new ban on all bikes less than 400cc (about 99% of bikes) because in the words of the chairman at that time "People who can't afford to ride bikes over 500cc are poor and uneducated". He was argued down to 400cc but the ban has nothing at all to do with safety for bikers or anyone else.

While much of the modern world is actively encouraging the use of motorcycles to reduce congestion and pollution the Philippines is largely doing the opposite and being anti-motorcycle. There are notable exceptions like motorcycles not being included in the "colour coding" scheme that bans car drivers from using their vehicles in city centres on one day each week.

In recent months it has become clear that because motorcycles are the only vehicles that can slip through the chaotic, lawless mess of Manila traffic criminals are sometimes using them as getaway vehicles. Instead of investigating why the PNP cannot stop them or helping the PNP, one counselor decided to introduce a no backride law (no passengers on motorcycles). Another decided that because these criminals are hard to recognize when wearing full face helmets he would introduce a ban of full face helmets while another said everyone passing through their part of the city must register their helmets! Lastly a senator decided he would introduce a law that all motorcyclists must paint their name and plate number on their helmet!

Thousands of riders have saved for years to buy a bike to reduce their commuting costs, often with a second member of the family riding on the back being taken to work or school. These people would be forced to continue their payments on the bike, or sell it at a loss, while members of the family are forced to use public transport vehicles that statistics show are the most dangerous vehicles in the country and certainly kill far more people than motorcycle riding crooks. Riders passing through a certain part of town would have to find city hall (assuming it is open at the time) to go and pay for a sticker before they can continue. Many riders like myself pass through this area at night so they, presumably, would have to make a separate trip (about three hours for me) just to get a sticker to pass through at night when nobody can see it anyway.

Painting your name and plate number on your helmet would mean damaging very expensive safety equipment. If you have more than one bike you would need multiple helmets at a cost of between 2,000 and 30,000 pesos each and what would it achieve anyway? Do assassins and other criminals ride slowly when escaping the scene of the crime if they have stickers or numbers on their helmets? Are murderers and robbers afraid to disobey the no backride rule when zipping through the traffic to escape?

All these rules of course would have little or no effect on criminals who are bold enough to walk up to someone in broad daylight in a crowded area, shoot someone then jump on the back of a bike and disappear. If they cant wear a full face helmet they will just wear a half face helmet and add a bandana and sunglasses like many messengers do. If the law says they can't backride they will arrive at the scene separately, the killer does his evil deed, jumps on the bike and disappears as usual. Stickers and painted numbers can easily be duplicated or stolen. If the law enforcement agencies are unable to catch them now what difference would stickers and these rules make? The only people affected are the innocent motorcycle riders.

On June 10th members of the estimated 120,000 member Motorcycle Philippines Federation (MCPF) said enough is enough. In spite of the fact that it is very difficult for most people to get time off work, somewhere between 600 and 1,000 riders met at the Quezon Memorial Circle to inform counselors and senators that they will no longer be used as scapegoats and excuses for poor law enforcement.

The Federation that consists of the motorcyclephilippines.com web site, the Philippine Scooter Federation, The Motorcycle Advocates of the Philippines, The National Racing Association, the Motorcycle Riders Course and hundreds of other clubs and federations all over the country. The federation has all the top people and experts in every aspect of motorcycling at their disposal and has made it very clear that they are ready and willing to do everything they can to assist the government at every level.

Obviously the MCPF has made its presence felt as the backride ban and the painted helmet proposals have already been withdrawn.

A few weeks ago the Office of the President requested the MCPF to draft a motorcycle usage incentive policy for the country. When the riders gathered at Quezon Memorial the staff of Quezon City Councilor Ariel Inton met with the riders and MCPF directors to sign an agreement of cooperation and recently Senator Richard Gordon agreed to work with the MCPF on motorcycling related issues.

Directors of the MCPF and presidents of motorcycle clubs are due to meet with Mayor Bayani of Marikina on Monday June 20th.

The MCPF would like to make it clear that this is a law enforcement problem, NOT a motorcycle problem. Crooks use all sorts of vehicles but nobody penalizes innocent motorists. While the MCPF will help in any way possible we are not a law enforcement organization and do not have the authority or the means to do the PNP's job for them.