(Joint reports from DCR, DSA, GAB)
An advisory from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reveals that those who are engaging in pilliory-riding or motorcycle backriding need to carry a valid ID while the motorcycle should feature a barrier between the driver and the backslider.
This was revealed by DILG provincial director Jerome Gonzales in an interview with The Bohol Tribune after his agency released an advisory dated July 15, 2020. The advisory was addressed to provincial governors, city and town mayors, the chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and DILG regional directors, among others.
The advisory is aligned with the guidelines released by the national Inter Agency Task Force (IATF), allowing piliory-riding or motorcycle backriding.
Moreover, Gonzales said that motorcycle backriding is only allowed for married couples, live-in partners, and people in a relationship, such as girlfriend and boyfriend relationship living in the same house.
They need to possess valid IDs to prove that they live in the same house and they are married. Live-in partners and people in a relationship living in the same house need to have IDs to ascertain they too live in the same house.
The DILG provincial chief says that the barrier needs to be installed and only the IATF-approved barrier design should be used.
Aside from the barrier, the driver and the backrider are expected to follow minimum health standards imposed by the Department of Health, which includes the mandatory wearing of face mask or any other personal protective equipment.
Gonzales said the motorcycle riders need to follow road safety rules such as following the right speed limit and wearing of helmet.
The local government units (LGU) are tasked to implement the advisory with the assistance of the Philippine National Police (PNP).