FOR endangering public lives and limbs while performing dangerous stunts along the (Marikina-Rizal-Laguna-Quezon) Marilaque Highway, all motorcycle drivers who will be apprehended for doing those wild moves should be revoked of their driver’s license.

This was the recommendation of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) headed by Brigadier General Eleazar Matta.

The PNP-HPG has fully supported recommendations by the Rizal PNP-HPG Provincial Advisory Group for the LTO to perpetually revoke the driver’s license of motorcycle riders who will be found engaged in reckless driving in the 117.5-kilometer-long highway.

Brig. Gen. Matta also lauded the decision by LTO chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza, II to revoke the driver’s license of Rico Buyawan, the motorcycle rider who performed the dangerous ‘Superman’ stunt along the Marilaque highway last month

The LTO said Buyawan was found guilty of being unfit to operate a motor vehicle after doing the stunt on a public road.

A viral video showed Buyawan and his fellow rider, John Arguelles, were performing the dangerous maneuver when they became entangled, lost control and crashed into a group of bystanders and other motorcycles parked on the side of the road.

As a result, Arguelles died while six others were injured after being hit by his wayward motorcycle.

The proposal to revoke the license of reckless motorcycle drivers in Marilaque Highway was triggered by that viral video.

Brig. Gen. Matta said they have undertaken a number of actions to prevent further tragedies in Marilaque Highway.

“This incident is a sobering reminder that reckless driving can have devastating consequences, and we must take decisive action to prevent more lives from being lost.

We fully support the call for a perpetual disqualification for drivers who display such recklessness, setting a strong precedent for road safety,” said the PNP-HPG head.

Brig. Gen. Matta said the PNP-HPG has long been committed to enhancing road safety along the said highway through the implementation of several measures to address traffic law violations in the area.

He said that in 2023, a total of 178 operations were conducted followed by 158 operations in 2024.

To further improve enforcement, PNP-HPG agents have been deployed to key accident-prone areas in the highway specifically in Palo Alto, Devil’s Corner, and Manukan area.

PNP-HPG operatives have also intensified patrol in the highway with the support of local government units, the local police and their ‘force multipliers.’

Brig. Gen. Matta said that in response to the ongoing safety concerns, there is a need to give emphasis on multi-faceted solutions including the installation of Blue Cops Mobile Wheels to improve police visibility, rumble strips to reduce speeds, and the introduction of no-contact apprehension cameras at critical points along the said highway.

Additionally, he said that the establishment of Task Force Marilaque, in partnership with the Tanay LGU, will ensure more proactive traffic management in the area which has been given the unsavory moniker ‘Highway of Death’.

Brig. Gen. Matta said the PNP-HPG’s efforts in Marilaque reflect their long-standing dedication to being “Vanguards of the Highway, Serving with a Smile,” a motto that emphasizes their commitment to upholding public safety with professionalism and care.

Through consistent operations, proactive measures, and a commitment to accountability, the PNP-HPG aims to make the Marilaque Highway a safer place for all road users, reducing the risk of future tragedies, he underscored.

Brig. Gen. Matta however said that as they continue to work to keep the highways safe, the public must be reminded that road safety requires not only enforcement but the collective responsibility of every driver, rider, and commuter.

PNP chief General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil earlier said that a ‘whole-of-nation approach,’ which include engineering and continued law enforcement, needs to be done to address the problems along the Marikina-Rizal-Laguna-Quezon (Marilaque) Highway which has earned the unsavory ‘highway of death’ tag.

Brig. Gen. Matta said he has ordered the Regional Highway Patrol Unit 4-A and the Rizal Provincial Highway Patrol Team to increase their round-the-clock presence along the 115-kilometer long road particularly along Palo-Alto, Mount Masungi and the Devils’ Curve particularly during weekends.

Brig. Gen. Matta said they have also tapped the help of their ‘force multipliers’ in watching the area which has been the scene of more than 170 motorcycle crashes since last year, majority of them in the Palo-Alto and Mount Masungi area.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon