A tragic road accident on Davao City's Coastal Road has prompted a strong call for stricter driver accountability from a local official. The incident, which resulted in a woman's death, occurred on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, around 8:08 p.m.
Details of the Fatal Incident
The victim died after falling from a motorcycle and being run over by a Yutong bus. Preliminary reports indicate the motorcycle she was riding brushed against a white van, which then fled the scene. This contact caused the motorcycle to swerve, leading to the fatal sequence of events.
Councilor's Privilege Speech Demands Action
In response to this and other incidents, Davao City Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr. delivered a privilege speech at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on January 6, 2025. He directly called on the Land Transportation Office–Davao Region (LTO–Davao) to use its authority to suspend or revoke the licenses of drivers whose violations cause serious harm.
Mahipus argued that accidents caused by drunk, reckless, or overspeeding drivers are matters of negligence, not fate. "I respectfully but firmly call on the Land Transportation Office to fully deliver and exercise its existing administrative authority," he stated, demanding preventive suspensions and revocations where warranted.
Rising Traffic Incidents and Legal Grounds
The councilor revealed alarming data to support his call. He cited reports that over 30 individuals were rushed to the Southern Philippines Medical Center in the last week of December 2025 due to holiday road incidents. More broadly, data from the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) shows a 31.3 percent increase in road crashes in Davao City for the first seven months of 2025 compared to 2024.
From January to July 2025, authorities recorded 2,598 crashes, involving 4,864 vehicles. The breakdown of involved vehicles is as follows:
- Private vehicles: 37%
- Motorcycles: 21%
- Trucks: 10%
Mahipus grounded his appeal in national laws, including:
Republic Act 10586 (Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013): Which treats driving under the influence as operating a weapon.
Republic Act 4136 (Land Transportation and Traffic Code): Which allows for the withdrawal of driving privileges from unsafe operators.
Republic Act 10930: Which strengthens driver licensing policy and accountability.
Call for Mandatory Reporting and Coordination
A key point in Mahipus's speech addressed the common practice of private settlements after accidents, which prevents formal action against negligent drivers. He stressed the need for the LTO to be informed to initiate administrative cases, including against "kamote drivers."
He proposed institutionalizing mandatory reporting among the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), the Philippine National Police–Traffic Enforcement Unit (PNP–TEU), and the LTO for all incidents causing injury, death, or property damage.
Invoking the Local Government Code, Mahipus called for stronger coordination between local and national agencies. "Road safety is not achieved through silence after a tragedy but through action before the next incident occurs," he concluded, framing his call as an act of fidelity to the law and a reminder of the power to prevent future deaths.
