By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bacolod City Councilor Caesar Distrito yesterday revealed the ordinance banning the practice of riding-in-tandem recently passed its first reading before the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP).
The proposal, authored by City Councilor Dindo Ramos, banned riding-in-tandem for all males between 9:00 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. the following day, however, it exempts female back riders and those below 12 years old during emergency situations.
Fines for violators include P500 for the drivers and P300 for the back rider, while the motorcycle would be impounded.
According to Ramos, public hearings will be held later this month in order to consult the matter further with local motorcycle clubs, the City Legal Office (CLO), and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).
Last year, City Councilor Plaridel Nava II filed a similar resolution before Iloilo City Council, where penalties from P5,000 to three months in prison for violators were proposed; however, exemptions to the rule allowed for females, immediate family, relatives, and males below 18 years of age to be motorcycle passengers./WDJ