Anti-Road Rage bill filed in Congress; up to PHP 500K fine & jail time

Road rage has long plagued Philippine roads, but it’s only now, amplified by viral social media posts, that authorities are cracking down hard on such incidents.

House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative, Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos III, has filed a bill that would criminalize road rage and slap offending drivers with heavy penalties.

House Bill (HB) 8190, or the proposed Anti-Road Rage Act, seeks to draw a clear legal line between simple traffic violations and intentional acts of aggression that endanger not only the lives of those involved in the altercation but also the lives of other road users.

“We cannot allow road rages to continue on our roads, because one reckless decision can turn into a lifelong tragedy for an innocent family. The goal is accountability that is both punitive and corrective, especially in a climate where viral road rage videos often normalize intimidation and escalate copycat behavior,” said Cong. Marcos.

Up to PHP 500K penalty and jail time

Under the proposed measure, road rage is defined as any deliberate and aggressive act by a driver or vehicle occupant stemming from a traffic-related incident, intended to intimidate, threaten, harass, retaliate against, or harm another road user, which is an action that creates a clear and present danger to life, limb, or property.

The bill sets hefty fines for road rage incidents. If without injury or damage, it could mean up to one year in jail, a fine of up to PHP 100,000, or both. If someone gets hurt or if a property is damaged, the penalty jumps to up to four years in prison or a fine of up to PHP 200,000. If the incident leads to serious injuries or death, the driver could face much heavier charges under the Revised Penal Code, plus fines of up to PH P500,000.

Penalties are even tougher if a weapon or firearm is involved, if the victim is a minor, senior citizen, pregnant woman, or person with disability, or if the offender is a police officer or other uniformed personnel. The driver’s license will be suspended right away during the investigation and permanently revoked if found guilty. Any firearm license will also be canceled perpetually.

Not the first Marcos to file Anti-Road Rage bill

Rep. Marcos may have filed the latest bill, but he isn’t the first Marcos to push for one. In 2011, when President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was still a senator, he introduced Senate Bill 2329, or the “Act Defining Road Rage.” The measure sought to formally define road rage in law and treat it as an aggravating circumstance in crimes arising from it, aiming, as the bill stated, to “once and for all stamp out road rage as an unnecessary and reprehensible evil.”

“We all know that our roads and traffic conditions here leave so much to be desired and are already a cause of great stress to the users. This stress caused behind the steering wheel should not be allowed to be channeled to the point of infliction of unnecessary injuries upon another,” said the elder Marcos in 2011.