Solons push for stiffer penalties vs. road rage perpetrators

MANILA – The House of Representatives Committee on Transportation on Wednesday tackled bills seeking stiffer penalties against road rage perpetrators.

House Bill (HB) 8991, filed by Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo, fellow ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Edvic Yap and Jocelyn Tulfo, Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, and Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Tulfo, proposes up to 12 years imprisonment.

The bill, entitled "An Act Penalizing Acts of Road Rage and for Other Purposes," also known as the "Anti-Road Rage Act," said any person who engages in road rage, which results in death, shall be imprisoned for six to 12 years and imposed a fine of not less than P250,000 but not more than P500,000 exclusive of all the damages incurred, at the discretion of the court.

"We will not condone road rage in our streets," Tulfo said in his sponsorship speech during the panel hearing chaired by Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop.

Tulfo cited data from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) showing that a significant portion of the 72,000 road crashes that occurred in Metro Manila in 2022 were linked to road rage.

"We are all aware that the consequences of road rage are dire, often resulting in altercations, property damages, assaults, and collisions that cause physical injuries even death," Tulfo said.

Davao de Oro 2nd District Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga also filed a similar bill, HB 9140, suggesting the consolidation of all five bills regarding road rage.

"Walang klarong batas po doon sa road rage, kaya ang daming nangyayari. So yun lang po ang diperensya namin (compared to Rep. Tulfo's bill) – sa degree, bracketing of the degree as to imprisonment or penalty po," Gonzaga said.

(There is no specific law on road rage, so many things happen. That's the only difference between our bills – in degree, bracketing of the degree as to imprisonment or penalty)

In HB 9140, Gonzaga proposed that in cases resulting in the death of a party, a penalty of imprisonment of up to 20 years or Reclusion Temporal is imposed.

The three other House Bills related to road rage were filed by San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Rep. Florida Robes, Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas, and Iloilo City Rep. Julienne Baronda.

After the committee took all the opinions of all the concerned agencies and private groups, Acop immediately referred all five bills before the Technical Working Group for consolidation. (PNA)