Rep. Tulfo: Stiffer penalties, jail term await road rage suspects
HOUSE Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo announced on Wednesday that stiffer penalties and jail term of up to 12 years imprisonment await persons involved in road rage incidents.
This was the result of the initial deliberation before the Committee on Transportation Chaired by Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop on the House Bill No. 8991 filed by Tulfo and his colleagues from the ACT-CIS partylist Rep. Edvic Yap and Jocelyn Tulfo and two other lawmakers Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and Quezon city 2nd District Rep. Ralph Tulfo.
The bill entitled “An Act penalizing Acts of Road Rage and for other Purposes,” also known as “Anti-Road Rage Act” said, any person who engages in road rage, which result to death shall be imprisoned for six to 12 years and a fine not less than P250,000 but not more than P500,000 exclusive of all the damages incurred, at the discretion of the court.
“We will not condone road rage in our streets,” said Tulfo in his sponsorship speech during the committee hearing on Wednesday.
“We are all aware that the consequences of road rage are dire, often resulting in altercations, property damages, assaults, and collisions that cause physical injuries even death” Tulfo also said.
He added, according to Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), a significant portion of the 72,000 road crashes that occurred in Metro Manila in 2022 were linked to road rage.
“Despite all these, there is no existing legislation that imposes penalties on those who exhibit road rage,” Tulfo noted.
Meanwhile, Davao de Oro 2nd District Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, who also filed a similar bill, the House Bill 9140 also supported the ACT-CIS partylist bill as he recommended the consolidation of the five bills filed regarding road rage.
“Walang klarong batas po doon sa road rage, kaya ang daming nangyayari. So yun lang po ang diperensya namin (to Rep. Tulfo’s bill) sa degree, bracketing of the degree as to imprisonment of penalty po,” Gonzaga said.
In the House bill 9140 of Gonzaga, he proposed that in cases resulting to death of a party, a penalty of imprisonment of up to 20 years imprisonment or Reclusion Temporal.
The three other House Bill related to road rage were filed by San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Rep. Florida Robes, Quezon city 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas and Iloilo city Rep. Julienne Baronda.
After the committee took all the opinions of all the concerned agencies and private groups, Acop immediately referred all the five bills before the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the consolidation of all the bills.
