Netizens Furious After Two Frontliners Fined ₱5,000 For Backriding On Motorcycle

Netizens are furious after a health worker is being made to pay a ₱5,000 fine after he was caught in Valenzuela City riding with his brother, also a health worker, on one motorcycle while on their way home after duty.

Gerald Libiran, a health worker at the Philippine Orthopedic Center, said that they were en route to Bulacan on March 24 when a member of Valenzuela City Traffic Management Office flagged them down and issued them a violation receipt.

The violation receipt, a photo of which Libiran sent to the Manila Bulletin, stated that he violated Valenzuela City’s Ordinance No. 673 or Social Distancing Ordinance for having a “back rider.”

Libiran said that they still tried to show their IDs as medical health workers and explain themselves but to no avail, adding that his brother was even wearing a uniform.

“Alam namin na mahigpit na pinapatupad ang social distancing, pero wala po masasakyan ang kapatid ko mula National Children’s Hospital pauwi ng Bulacan. Kaya wala kaming choice kundi i-angkas at isinabay ko na sya sa aking motorsiklo,” Libiran said.

Libiran is calling on authorities to give health workers consideration.

However, “the Department of Transportation (DOTr) guidelines (which are based on DOH social distancing rules) on this, simply, do not allow such exemptions,” Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian said, referring to a Transport Department guideline, which states, “motorcycles are allowed for personal use, considering that they have no back riders.”

“As a local chief executive I am mandated to administer all national government guidelines during this period,” the mayor added.

Further, DOTr reiterates that backriders on motorcycles are not allowed during the entire lockdown period, adding that there are no exemptions on its social distancing policy on private vehicles event frontline workers.

“I don’t want the PNP and the AFP to check 100,000 tricycles every moment just to check who’s riding. I’d rather have them focus on keeping people staying at home. The government’s position on this matter stands,” DOTr Asec. Goddes Hope Libiran said.

Meanwhile, netizens are not happy that our government cannot show compassion to our frontliners and some are even asking to exempt them on backriding policy during this time of COVID-19 crisis.