LTO-7 to honor riders who help enforce road safety

CEBU, Philippines — Ordinary citizens who help enforce road safety initiatives shall now be properly recognized as the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) is set to institutionalize a “Road Heroes” program.

LTO-7 Regional Director Atty. Wendel C. Dinglasan said yesterday that the initiative was inspired by the actions of a concerned citizen who helped authorities intercept a reckless motorcycle rider involved in a hit-and-run incident in Cebu.

“We want our fellow citizens to know that when they help the government, they are not just helping the government, they are also helping themselves. Road safety is for everyone,” Dinglasan said.

He stressed that ensuring road safety is a shared responsibility and should not rest solely on government agencies.

“If we all work together and unite for this purpose, we can reduce the number of road accidents in the region,” he said.

Dinglasan, however, reminded the public that while helping authorities is commendable, their own safety should always be the priority.

“The action was truly admirable, but we also want citizens who help in road safety initiatives to ensure their own safety. Safety first should always be observed,” he said.

Rather than directly pursuing fleeing motorists, Dinglasan encouraged witnesses to immediately seek assistance from law enforcement authorities or report the incident to nearby LTO enforcers or police officers.

“In the future, they may simply report the incident to us. Our LTO enforcers are already on the roads, and they are the ones trained to pursue violators,” he said.

He added that the “Road Heroes” program will become part of the agency's continuing efforts to encourage wider public participation in promoting road safety across Central Visayas.

As part of the initiative, LTO-7 formally recognized Jan Clifford Godinez, a concerned citizen who helped stop a reckless rider involved in a hit-and-run incident along M. Bacalso Avenue in Cebu City on Tuesday morning.

Dinglasan said the recognition aims to inspire more citizens to assist authorities during road emergencies instead of merely recording incidents on their mobile phones.

“The rationale of this program is to encourage every citizen in Region 7 to respond to emergencies, especially road emergencies. It has become a common attitude among some Filipinos to simply watch or take videos of accidents instead of helping. We want to change that,” he said.

The incident occurred at around 7 a.m. along M. Bacalso Avenue near the South Bus Terminal when a 21-year-old motorcycle rider allegedly struck another motorist.

Instead of stopping to assist the victim, the suspect allegedly sped away on his modified motorcycle.

Godinez, who happened to witness the incident, immediately attempted to block the fleeing rider.

When the suspect continued to flee, he flagged down nearby LTO enforcers and alerted them to pursue the motorist.

LTO personnel later intercepted the suspect and impounded his motorcycle.

Dinglasan said recognizing Godinez's quick response is intended to encourage more citizens to act responsibly and assist authorities whenever they witness road emergencies or traffic incidents.

In a separate interview, Godinez, 28, said he did not hesitate to go after the fleeing rider after seeing that someone had been hit.

He expressed gratitude that he was unharmed during the pursuit and thanked the LTO for assisting in intercepting the fleeing rider.

“Thankfully, I was safe. I didn’t fall or get hurt. I’m also thankful to the LTO because they helped me pursue the motorist, and we were able to intercept him,” he added.

Godinez said it was not the first time he had helped authorities apprehend a reckless motorist.

“Actually, this was already the second time I chased a motorist,” he said.

He recalled that the first incident occurred while he was riding with his girlfriend when they noticed two allegedly intoxicated motorcycle riders driving recklessly.

“I sought assistance from the police station in Mabolo so they could stop them. They hadn’t figured in an accident yet, but they were attempting to hit a vehicle. That’s why we acted quickly and reported them,” he said.

According to Godinez, the two riders were eventually apprehended. — /IHM (FREEMAN)