DUMAGUETE CITY – The police here is gearing up for the simultaneous launching of the Philippine National Police (PNP) campaign dubbed “Clean Rider”, which was reset to August 1.
Despite the change in schedule, Team PRO-7 (PNP Regional Office 7) was all set for the originally scheduled launch Friday, with a lot of motorists making inquiries on how to avail of the “Clean Rider” project of PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde.
Superintendent Jonathan Pineda, police chief of Dumaguete, said Friday the “Clean Rider” campaign is aimed at documenting and disciplining motorists as well as accounting for all motorcycles with their respective owners.
Motorists will have to fill up a registration form with a 2 x 2 picture and to submit for recording the make, engine number, chassis number, plate number, year model and the complete owner’s name, occupation, certificate of registration and driver’s license.
Pineda said the police will also check on the accessories of the motorcycle before it can be issued a “Clean Rider” sticker with a serial number, the same with that attached to the driver’s license of the owner for easy identification.
With the “Clean Rider” sticker, it is understood that the motorcycle and the owner have undergone the process and are considered legitimate.
However, it does not preclude authorities from flagging them when they look suspicious during a checkpoint because of a possibility the rider may not be the real owner of the motorcycle or it is carnapped, said Pineda.
It is for this reason that the Dumaguete police is coordinating with rent-a-bike shops in Dumaguete to also fill up the registration form.
Meanwhile, the Police Advisory Council (PAC), in a meeting on Friday, passed and approved a resolution requesting the city government for funding support for the reproduction of counter stickers exclusively for use by the city police.
Pineda said the counter stickers will determine if a motorcycle involved in a crime, was flagged down, or has committed violations, is from Dumaguete City.
He told the PAC that violators of existing ordinances in the city are motorcycles coming from other municipalities.
The counter stickers will also determine the number of motorcycles plying the streets of Dumaguete.
On the use of helmets, which is mandatory under existing national laws, Supt. Pineda said the police will be guided accordingly by existing ordinances of the city that full-faced helmets are not allowed.
Recent shooting incidents involving motorcycles driven by suspects showed that the culprits are wearing full-faced helmets so that they cannot be identified even during daytime. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
