Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has proposed that bus drivers who commit criminal negligence in road mishaps should face twenty (20) years of imprisonment. This, in the wake of a lot of vehicular accidents as of late.

The senator from Sorsogon, who currently chairs both the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, introduced Senate Bill Number 2701 (SBN 2701) which aims to provide more teeth to existing preventive policies to achieve safety benefits. SBN 2701 penalizes criminal negligence committed by common carriers with reclusion temporal, or twelve (12) years to twenty (20) years in prison, in case of death.

Common carriers’ criminal liability is found in Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code, Criminal Negligence, which provides as penalty of imprisonment arresto mayor to prision correccional or from one (1) month to four (4) years and two (2) months, depending on the gravity of the resultant crime or felony.

I don’t know about you but I think the number of recent road accidents is really very alarming.

Here in Mindanao, for instance, 15 people died in a road accident in Dangcagan, Bukidnon last week. A 10-wheeler truck rammed into an L300 van, leaving all of its 15 passengers plus driver dead. I actually just got word from my sources in Dangcagan that the truck owner can only afford to give P10,000.00 (roughly US $250.00) to each of the passengers. Isn’t that so pathetic?

So now, given this new move from Senator Chiz, I do hope that our roads become safer and our drivers become more responsible.

What do you think of this proposed legislation?

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