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MANILA, Philippines — A road rage altercation turned fatal after a shooting incident claimed the life of one of four victims in Antipolo City, prompting renewed discussions on proposed legislation to penalize road rage.
Since 2022, six House bills have been filed aiming to reduce the number of road rage incidents, with the first filed by Rep. Florida Robes (San Jose Del Monte, Lone District). All, however, have been pending with the House Committee on Transportation.
In an interview with ANC on Friday, April 4, she explained that penalizing aggressive behavior “sends a strong message that violence on the road, verbal or physical, has no place in civilized society.”
For Robes, passing such bills would be more “preventive than reactive” when it comes to road rage, as “deterrence starts with definition.”
“Right now, there’s no law that categorically defines what is road rage as a punishable offense,” she added.
Proposed penalties. While the proposals impose penalties, some still fall short of offering concrete measures to help drivers avoid violent behavior, manage road frustration or address the root causes of road rage.
House Bill 1511, filed by Robes, only proposes a six-month to six-year prison term and/or a P250,000 fine for anyone involved in road rage, along with the revocation of their driver’s license.
Similarly, House Bill 10521, filed by Rep. Jefferson Khonghun (Zambales, 1st District) in July 2024, does not include any reformative measures. It instead imposes harsher penalties in cases where road rage results in death.
The remaining four measures — House Bills 8991, 9140, 9375 and 9559 — take a slightly more reformative approach by proposing mandatory anger management programs or public education and awareness campaigns.
One of these, filed by Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas (Quezon City, 5th District), sets lighter penalties for cases without injury, only imposing fines below P50,000. It only escalates to imprisonment and fines of up to P200,000 if the incident involves injury.
A growing concern. Road rage, which is generally defined as a driver’s violent outburst of anger or frustration due to road conditions, has become a common occurrence in the country.
In 2022, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) recorded around 72,000 road collisions in Metro Manila alone, many of which were attributed to road rage.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), road crashes ranked as the 12th leading cause of death nationwide, with 11,801 transport-related fatalities recorded in 2023.
Since there is still no legal definition of road rage, lawmakers are pushing for a measure to formally define it.
Still, the act is already punishable under existing laws such as the Revised Penal Code, Civil Code, Land Transportation and Traffic Code, the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act.
But for Robes, the bill wouldn’t duplicate existing laws — instead, she said it would “strengthen enforcement by providing a framework” that treats road rage as a standalone crime.
The lawmaker said the committee is awaiting the Department of Justice’s opinion before moving forward with the substitute bill, while their committee report remains under review.
