‘Clean Rider Waray’ campaign launched, draws support from Eastern Visayas motorbikers

PALO, Leyte – Over 1,300 motorcycle riders from Eastern Visayas are supporting the “Clean Rider Waray” campaign of the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) launched here yesterday.

“The campaign is PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde’s idea being a rider himself primarily to assist our motorcycle-riding community in the different checkpoints to immediately identify them as law-abiding citizens compared to motorcycle-riding suspects,” PRO8 regional director Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos said.

Land Transportation Office (LTO) regional chief Edgar Catarungan added that “Clean Rider Waray” aims to enroll over 100,000 registered motorcycles in the region, which will help curb, if not totally eradicate crimes and accidents involving motorcycles.

Catarungan also assured the public that the campaign will not entail any human rights violation, but will instead be beneficial to the motorists because they would have easy access during the regular checkpoints being conducted by the police and traffic enforcers.

“This is to easily identify our lawabiding riders. The LTO will also be deputizing all PNP personnel on the ground dahil kulang kami sa tao. Kung law-abiding citizens kayo, wala kayong dapat ikabahala,” he noted.

To qualify, Carlos said that motorcycle owners should voluntarily present the official receipt and certificate of registration of their motorcycle, a valid identification card and their driver’s license in their respective municipal or city police stations.

He added that they would then undergo background verification for criminal records while their motorcycles would be checked to determine if these had been used in previous crimes.

The sticker for the motorcycle and driver’s license can be claimed in an hour after verification.

Carlos has also directed all police officers who own motorcycles to register in the campaign and secure a sticker because no one is exempted from the program.