Vehicle vandals face 25 years in prison

MANILA, Philippines — Persons throwing stones or hard objects at moving or stationary motor vehicles could face imprisonment of up to 25 years.

That is, if a bill the House of Representatives has approved on second reading becomes a law. 

Bill 7163 provides a schedule of punishment for any person who throws stones, rocks, bricks, bottles, pieces of wood or metal, or any other hard object of any kind or character, that damage, ruin, destroy or wreck a vehicle or cause death or bodily harm to any of its passengers.

The penalties would be imprisonment for 25 years and a fine of P100,000, in addition to civil liabilities, if the offense results in the death of any person, and five years in prison and a P15,000 fine if it causes any physical injury.

If the offense damages a vehicle, the punishment is imprisonment for one year and a P10,000 fine, plus the cost of repair.

Majority leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, principal author of the bill, said it is a fact that there are unscrupulous persons who throw, for whatever reason, hard objects at motor vehicles, particularly public transport plying major thoroughfares.

“In the process, accidents result, putting the lives and limbs of passengers in danger and damaging the vehicle itself. This practice has to be abated,” he said.

He said authorities are at a loss on how to prevent the commission of such act because at most, culprits could be charged only with the crime of malicious mischief under Article 327 of the Revised Penal Code, which is punishable by a light penalty.

Worse, offenders go scot-free and make this hazardous act a “habitual past-time,” he added.