■ MANDAUE TO IMPLEMENT ORDINANCE BANNING YOUNG CHILDREN ON MOTORCYCLES

Children who are 10 and below will not be allowed to go to school on a motorcycle in Mandaue City. Violators will be issued a citation ticket. This is in line with City Ordinance 11-2007-422 that was passed 10 years before Republic Act 10666, or the Children’s Safety on Motorcycle Act of 2015. With classes starting tomorrow, the riding public have been forewarned. Traffic personnel have apprehended more than 100 violators since Mayor Luigi Quisumbing assumed office. “Daghan nasuko nga ginikanan, pero di man nato dapat supakon ang balaod (Many parents were mad, but we cannot just disregard the law),” Glenn Antigua, Team chief of operations, said.

As classes in public schools start tomorrow, anyone in Mandaue City who will let children ages 10 and below ride on a motorcycle will be penalized.

Glenn Antigua, chief for operations of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team), said traffic personnel will issue a citation ticket once they see violators of the city ordinance, which was passed about 10 years ago.

Before Republic Act 10666 or the Children’s Safety on Motorcycles Act of 2015 was passed, the Mandaue City Council approved last Nov. 14, 2007 Ordinance 112007-422, prohibiting minors “of less than one year to 10 years old from riding and/or being carried” on a motorcycle or bicycle.

When Mandaue Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing assumed office in 2016, Team has been strictly implementing traffic ordinances.

The traffic body apprehended more than 100 violators of Ordinance 11-2007-422.

Antigua said 90 percent of them were men. “Many parents were mad, but we cannot just disregard the law,” he said.

According to the ordinance, parents, guardians, custodians and trustees who allow children to ride a motorcycle or a bicycle will be fined P300 to P800, and/ or imprisonment of not more than 30 days at the discretion of the court.

“The vehicle driven shall be seized and impounded. An impounding fee of P50 per day shall be charged against the offender,” the ordinance read.

Other penalties will be added if the violator is found overloading and not wearing a helmet.

Antigua advised parents to just let the children ride a tricycle or a passenger jeepney.

“We are doing this for their own safety,” he said.

Although Republic Act 10913 or the Anti-Distracted Driving Act was suspended, Antigua said they will still implement the City Anti-Distracted Driving Ordinance.

Traffic enforcers have apprehended fewer than 20 taxi and private vehicle drivers who were seen using their cellphone and other gadgets while driving, Antigua said. /