Full Face Helmets in Philippines

“Those Wearing Full Face Helmets Will Be Shot…”

Editor’s Note: This just in from the Philippines, sent by webBikeWorld reader “N.S.”. Probably the only good reason I’ve heard of for not wearing a full-face helmet!

From “N.S.” (May 25, 2012) – This is the type of thing we have to deal with here in the Philippines.

The headline is: “Those wearing full face helmets will be shot”.

The article, translated (loosely) from Filippino (with some Tagalog), reads:

Zamboanga City (a metropolis on the southern part of the Philippines): It seemed as though the city is under martial law, owing to the recent ordinance published in Zamboanga City after officials banned the use of full face helmets by motorcyclists, and threatened that those who would ignore the ordinance would be shot.

A big tarpaulin sign has been put up by the entrance to Barangay Lumayang, about 20 kilometers from the center off the city, that proclaims the threat.

Barangay chairman Frederick Atilano insisted that the ordinance is for the protection of the more than 1,600 residents against hired killers.

According to Atilano, just this February, Wilson Recisio, 40 years old and principal of (an unnamed) Lumayang school, was killed by “riding in tandem” motorcyclists.

“This is for our safety. Full face helmets are now banned, and those who disregard our ordinance will be shot,” said Atilano.

Atilano has also requested that a checkpoint be setup in the Barangay, to make sure that no hired killers wearing full face helmets will be able to enter.