Philippines - Bikers unite against AO

For the third time in two years, bikers from around the Philippines held simultaneous rallies in protest of what they see as a discriminative, unfair and enfeebling administrative order.  Issued by the Land Transportation Office, AO-AHS-2008-015 seeks to reinforce guidelines set on RA 4136: An Act to compile the laws relative to land transportation and traffic rules, to create a land transportation commission and for other purposes.

Bikers from different cities and towns around the nation tied red and black ribbons to their motorcycles in objection of a vague section in the AO, the No Modification Policy, which imposes a PhP2000 (approx. US$285) fine to motorcycles with modifications from its original design.

In Metro Manila, hundreds of riders staged a peaceful protest at the Plaza Miranda, City of Manila, on Saturday, September 27.  The Motorcycle Rights Organization (MRO) officially released a statement voicing its concern against the order.

Jobert Bolanos, representing MRO, said:

I would also like to say that the AO has been a subject of every rider, shop, dealer and manufacturer. This AO has grave effects not only to the community but to the entire industry as well. Small shops and stores will lose their livelihoods, their mechanics, cashiers, assistants and helpers will lose their jobs, the suppliers will lose their means of business, the dealers will have fewer buyers, the manufacturers will have less reason to keep their assembly plants in the country and the government will lose millions upon millions of tax collections from all of the parties concerned thus creating another economic tumble. I feel especially saddened to the people who will be forced to close shops and the employees they will be sending home with no more jobs the next day.

"I don't think they can implement this," Mayor Tomas Osmena of Cebu, as quoted on Sun Star Cebu, said.  "Besides, I think that order is illegal."

"They can't prohibit drivers from changing the parts," Osmena added.  "It violates the law of free enterprise, it's unconstitutional. You have to show it's not safe, you can't just tell the people they can't buy other parts. Why, who are you (to say that)?"

View the complete MRO statement here. 

AO tarpaulin photo from websaytko.com.