TUBA, Benguet – Officials and employees of the Cordillera office of the Department of Transportation (DOTR-CAR) recently commemorated the World Day of Remembrance of Road Crash Victims and their Families at an accident-prone portion of the Marcos highway, particularly along Badiwan, here.
The commemoration started with a holy mass officiated by Fr. Joseph Dawang that included the blessing of the roadline and a candle lighting activity to remember the victims of the various road crashes around the country and their families.
In his message during the commemoration, DOTR-CAR regional director lawyer Joshua Pablito pointed out that it takes years to forget, and sometimes, even until now, he still remembers accident crime scenes where body parts are scattered across the road, brains and intestines are lying around, once beautiful heads and faces are bashed and unrecognizable.
He claimed that the person driving the vehicle even if the accident is not deliberate is charged in court, and looked at and treated as a murderer.
Pablito narrated that when his client was acquitted and the other was convicted, but merely applied for probation, he even received death threats.
According to him, as a private prosecutor, one cannot blame the victims and their families because even if you inform them that the accident was not deliberate or not one wanted the same to happen, the victims will still not be satisfied with the answer.
Pablito asserted that the accident victims want to seek answers, meaning in the death of their loved ones and justice and even revenge for their loved ones, an eye for an eye, a life for a life.
“I party and hope that you will never experience that in your life. But today is a day of remembrance, where we remember, sympathize and emphasize with the aim and suffering of road crash victims, survivors and their families. Always remember, what if? What if it was your parent, child, sibling, and close friend in the hospital, morgue or it was the same family member who was driving the vehicle?” Pablito quipped.
Republic Act (RA) 11468 designated the third Sunday of November every year as the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims, Survivors and their Families.
He emphasized that the mere fact that there is a law mandating people to remember the day and the suffering and pain of road crash victims, survivors and their families is quite alarming.
Based on available data, nearly 1.1 million people are killed or disabled in traffic accidents every year, about 3,700 people die every day in fatal accidents alone, half of which are cyclists, motorcyclists, or pedestrians as vulnerable road users.
Globally, road traffic crashes are the 8th leading cause of death for people of all ages and the leading cause of death for children and young adults.
In the country, road crashes are the 13th cause of death of Filipinos in 2022 Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicate that road traffic deaths increased by 39 percent from 7,938 deaths in 2911 to 11,096 deaths in 2021.
Further, road traffic injuries are also the leading cause of death among Filipinos 15 to 29 years old, and a major killer among children.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic where people were dying left and right from the deadly virus, Pablito stipulated that the number of deaths dropped to 8,746 deaths because of the reduced mobility of the population where people stayed at home and limited vehicles were on the streets.
In 2021, he disclosed that the number of deaths again increased to 11,096, coinciding with the end of the implementation of lockdowns and community quarantine restrictions.
For the economy, Pablito underscored that road traffic injuries costs about 2.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, thus, as public servants of the DOTR road sector, the Land Transportation Office, and the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board should prevent another person becoming another victim, another person in jail, another person wanting to seek revenge for his loved one, another life lost due to nonsense and stupidity, there is a need for the said agencies to strictly enforce traffic laws, and remind everyone to be careful and observe due diligence, defensive driving and road safety.
“Remember that every careful driver, every passenger wearing seatbelt saves lives, that every reminder and apprehension to a reckless driver and motorist will ensure that they will go back home to their homes and families safely and in one piece,” Pablito added.