Mamori Racing Team

REVILLA REFILES BILL VS ILLEGAL DRAG RACERS

Press Release
October 17, 2007

REVILLA REFILES BILL VS ILLEGAL DRAG RACERS

In response to the increasing number of incidents involving illegal drag racing in the country, particularly in the streets of Metro Manila, Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. refilled his bill that would prescribe safety rules and provide penalties for the said dangerous activity, including imprisonment.

Senate Bill (SB) No. 13, previously filed by Revilla as SB No.1955 during the 13th Congress, seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) no. 4136, otherwise known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, to particularly include the definition and penalties for illegal drag racing in public streets, road and highways.

According to the Senator, the prevalence of illegal drag racing in the metropolis is so rampant that a law should be passed to curb it.

"There's no law that exclusively addresses illegal drag racing in the Philippines . We have already seen fatal accidents involving illegal drag racing. We should put a stop to it once and for all," Revilla said.

Under Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1602 or the Illegal Gambling Law, car racing is considered illegal if money or articles of value are at stake. Revilla added that illegal racing of motorcycles and ordinary scooters are also a craze nowadays aside from illegal drag racing of imported and expensive race cars, especially among thrill-seeking youngsters.

He cited reports that the Traffic Management Group (TMG) recently seized 21 motorcycles and nine vehicles for illegal drag racing in Macapagal Boulevard in Parañaque City and Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City .

Based on the said reports, some of the vehicles did not even have plates at all, and that the motorcycle owners were not wearing helmets while driving. However, the owners were given a "slap on the wrist" as they were merely issued traffic tickets for various violations and were advised to bring all pertinent documents regarding the ownership of the vehicles.

"This is not enough. We have to make them liable," Revilla stressed.

The lawmaker pointed out that it is the duty of the government to protect its citizens against illegal drag racing that results to damage to properties and even deaths of drivers and bystanders alike.

Under SB 13 or the Anti-Illegal Drag Racing Act, any person who shall participate in any manner in an illegal drag race or acceleration contest shall face a mandatory imprisonment of one year without probation and a fine of not less than two hundred thousand pesos. "Even those so called rich kids or children of the prominent and influential will be punished once this bill is passed. It's not only the motorists that's been affected by illegal drag racing but also the innocent pedestrians," Revilla said.

However, Revilla clarified that his bill provides for the exception for the conduct of properly controlled drag racing events authorized by the Land Transportation Office (LTO). "Drag racing is a sport but should not be abused to the extent of conducting it in an uncontrolled and unsecured environment that would harm both motorists and pedestrians," he added.

Section 5 of the Revilla Bill states that the LTO may authorize in writing an organized and properly controlled car racing event to utilize a highway or part of a highway. The authorization shall specify the time of the event, the highway or part of the highway to be utilized and any special conditions the director may require for the particular event.

Illegal Motorcycle Drag Racing

Drag racing is one of the most exciting ways to spice up your driving experience. However, it is really dangerous even if it's on a controlled and legal drag racing strip. It's more dangerous especially when racing with motorcycles. Most of the high end motorcycles pack more torque and acceleration in relation to power and weight compared to most of the fast race cars. But it gets more and more dangerous especially if done illegally.

Here in our country, motorcycle drag racing is famous among enthusiasts. Most of the motorcycles are just beefed up commercial bikes. So far, I have seen only a handful of top notch motorcycles. One of the major issues when it comes to motorcycle racing is the stubbornness of these enthusiasts in drag racing on illegal roads.

Most of them would converge in one spot. They would hang out for drinks and snacks and check each other's motorcycles. They would go to a specific road where it is wide and with a few cars. These races are held usually during midnight. They would usually race for a quarter mile much like in car drag racing.

There are some of them though who understand the risks involved when drag racing with motorcycles. Accidents are often fatal since the only protections they have are their helmets and body gears. However, for illegal motorcycle drag racing, a lot of them do not wear helmets at all. What's their excuse? It's only going to be for a quarter mile so why bother? Too bad, there are a lot of them who learn their lesson a tad too late.

Their reasoning is really impressive (in a bad sense). They stick to it even though some of them know that in one slip they could die. It's fine for them since they enjoy it so I still respect their decision but when I encounter one, I'd always try to convince them to stop doing it for their own safety and for their families. Most of the time, it's really not worth taking the risk.

Illegal motorcycle drag racing is not as rampant as before though since motorcycle accidents happen from time to time and more and more of these enthusiasts start to better understand the safety hazards of their passion. There are some legal racing strips where most of them transition to. These are sponsored races and their top priority is the safety of the riders. Full riding gear should be worn at all times and there are safety precautions all over the circuit. There are emergency teams on standby in case accidents happen.

DRAG RACING IN PHILIPPINES

The rapid increase in motorcycle and scooter ownership (because of its relatively cheap and easy way to purchase one) also encouraged the growth of illegal motorcycle street racing in the Philippines. Scooters of 125 cc displacement (notably the Honda XRM) are modified for performance, or simply strip it to its bare bones, even fitting engines from more powerful motorcycles like the Honda TMX, for the sake of racing. These races are often done in the Mat Rempit style. Honda noticed this trend, hence prompting them to release the Honda Bravo.[citation needed] Races are usually held at night on highways with long straights. While modification for the sake of aesthetics (concourse d'elegance) is legal in the Philippines, drag races are illegal and are being stopped by authorities. These drag races are, however, being dampened by sanctioned races sponsored by big companies. Some illegal racing involving 50cc scooters happened as early as the 1990s until it was officially sanctioned.

Automobile street racing existed in the Philippines as early as the 1970s and was brought back then became widespread in the late 1990s. It is held mostly in the main highways of Metro Manila in areas such as Sucat, Greenhills, Macapagal, C5 road and Marcos Highway as well as Sta. Rosa, Laguna, which is south of Manila. Accidents resulting from illegal street racing in these areas prompted authorities to heighten police presence, impose stricter fines and impound vehicles. Honda cars, most notably the Civic SiR, are a favorite among Filipino street racers. These cars are sometimes transplanted with bigger displacement engines (in the case of the Civic SiR, they are given engines from the Honda Civic Type R). Other cars such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, Toyota MR2 and the Nissan Sentra are also used, as well as high performance cars like the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru Impreza. Car enthusiasts took these illegal races to the strip and organizations such as PDRF (Philippine Drag Racing Federation) was formed to promote drag racing.