• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Bacolod City Police Office and other concerned agencies have been asked to strictly enforce the law against drunk and drugged driving, especially with the ongoing MassKara Festival highlight week.
“It is expected that during the celebration of the MassKara Festival, numerous tourists and residents will consume alcohol in various establishments within Bacolod,” the resolution, authored by Councilor Claudio Jesus “Kalaw” Puentevella, and approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Oct. 23, states.
Puentevella said that driving under the influence of alcohol and other intoxicated substances would impair one’s perception and reduce the ability to judge distance, speed, and the movement of other vehicles.
This can cause fatal road accidents detrimental to the safety of the public, hence the request also addressed to personnel of the Land Transportation Office and the Highway Patrol Group, he added.
Republic Act 10586, or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013, imposes fines and penalties, including three months’ imprisonment, and a fine ranging from P20,000 to P80,000, to a person found to have been driving while under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs, and/or other similar substances.
If the violation resulted in physical injuries, the fines range from P100,000 to P200,000, and corresponding jail term; and from P300,000 to P500,000, plus imprisonment, if the transgression led to homicide, the law added. | CGC
