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Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
February 15, 2026 | 12:00am
4Ps party-list Rep. JC Abalos
Abalos office
MANILA, Philippines — 4Ps party-list Rep. JC Abalos is seeking institutionalized fair accountability for road safety incidents.
In relation to the tragic incident that occurred on Feb. 11 involving the death of a 23-year-old student and its implications for the motorist who struck the victim after the fall, Abalos renewed his call for the passage of his proposed measure, House Bill (HB) 110, which seeks to institutionalize a “Philippine Responsible Driving and Accountability Act.”
The bill aims to promote responsible driving and establish fair accountability by ensuring that drivers are not automatically held liable for road safety incidents where no negligence or traffic violation was committed.
On Feb. 11, a male student died after falling from the LRT platform along EDSA. After the fall, the victim was struck by a passing vehicle.
The driver was initially placed under police custody but was released yesterday after authorities found no negligence on the driver’s part.
In a press statement, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) noted that a review of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed no indication that the driver was at fault in the incident.
Such situations, or similar incidents, are what Abalos seeks to address through his proposed measure.
“This measure is about justice for all parties involved,” Abalos said in a statement.
“While we mourn the loss of a young life, we must also protect innocent citizens from the trauma and legal burden of being held responsible for incidents that were entirely unavoidable on their part,” he added.
Key provisions of the bill include, among others, clearer definitions related to driving and road incidents, aggravating and mitigating circumstances and a reiteration of liabilities for parties involved in road safety incidents.
For his part, Manila 2nd district Rep. Rolando Valeriano, chairman of the House committee on public order and safety, said that arresting drivers without probable cause for reckless imprudence is patently unjust and lacks common sense.
“There are three ways to address the continuing injustice against motorists who should not be arrested and detained for reckless imprudence. First, I call for the immediate revision of the police procedures on reckless imprudence arrests and detention. Second, I ask the Supreme Court to revise its Rules of Criminal Procedure. Third, I also support the pending bills on responsible driving and the enactment of a new law to replace the Revised Penal Code,” Valeriano said in a statement.
Valeriano said the persistent police practice of arresting and detaining motorists without probable cause for reckless imprudence is patently unjust.
He said that there has consistently been wrongful application of Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code, which is the legal basis of reckless imprudence.
“It is clear to me that the police do not bother to weigh the evidence and circumstances on the factors involving road mishaps. In the most recent case. there was no inexcusable lack of precaution. It would have been impossible for the detained motorist to have exercised any kind of precaution when someone fell from above and crumpled on the street below. It does not take a prosecutor to see that there is no probable cause when the driver does not directly cause a road mishap,” he added.
