MANILA — A proposed law is seeking to remove the possibility of probation for reckless drivers.
"[W]hen death is caused by imprudence or by negligence, whether reckless or simple, the accused should not be eligible for probation," according to Senate Bill No. 1016 filed by Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel III.
The lawmaker said in a statement that he was "alarmed by increasing deaths caused by road accidents primarily due to recklessness."
He cited the recent death of a 4-year-old boy after he was allegedly run over by a bus and an SUV in front of a school along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.
"This is among hundreds, if not thousands, of heartbreaking stories of road accidents that we hear and see every day. How many innocent and precious kids do we have to lose in fatal road accidents before we act and make our roads safe for all Filipinos?" said Pimentel.
"I therefore call on my colleagues in Congress to pass a measure calling for stiffer penalties against reckless drivers."
Pimentel believes the proposed measure could help "reduce the number of accidents caused by reckless driving."
He claimed that "it appears that the country’s criminal law on imprudence or negligence has not deterred people from acting with reckless abandon or an inexcusable lack of precaution."
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, transport accident was the 13th leading cause of death in the Philippines in 2022.