Facial verification, SOS button pushed to curb crime vs MC taxi riders

MANILA, Philippines — Several motorcycle (MC) taxi firms are pushing for the implementation of facial verification measures for commuters and SOS buttons for riders to avoid incidents where their lives are placed in danger, in response to the fatal stabbing of a rider in Caloocan City.

In an interview at the Batasang Pambansa complex, Angkas public affairs officer Carlo Castro said these two changes were among the suggestions brought up during the consultation meeting called by 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez on Friday afternoon.

READ: Motorcycle taxi rider stabbed dead in Caloocan

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Castro said that if the request for facial verification of commuters pushes through, users of the ride-hailing applications would be required to show their photos so that riders can confirm if the person who booked the trip, and the one actually making the trip are the same.

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“This meeting is related to the increasing number of offenses or crimes committed against our riders, we talked about the measures that we can actively take so that we can avoid these incidents, as we have to protect the welfare not only of passengers but also of our riders as well,” Castro said in Filipino.

“What we talked about is first, aside from the driver verification, we will study having facial verification for passengers, so that in the same way that we can trace who the drivers are, we can see who the passengers are who can be subject to bad elements or those with criminal tendencies,” he added.

With the SOS button, Castro said this will allow riders to notify their respective offices and possibly law enforcement authorities that they are in an emergency.

“One of the things that we are also exploring is standardization of safety features like the 24/7 hotline, SOS button within the app, so that our riders have a readily-available mechanism within the app even while they are making trips, so that they can report emergencies or people with ill intentions during the course of their trips,” Castro said in Filipino.

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“So within the app, they can press that and there would immediately be a 24/7 emergency response which is connected — whether it’s a medical or a police enforcement issue, directed to the SOS button to allow direct contact with respondents,” he added.

In a separate interview, Gutierrez said they will seek the help of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to coordinate the possible changes.

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“We will also be asking for the help of the LTFRB to really coordinate that only valid IDs will be used for the apps,” Gutierrez said.

The lawmaker admitted that there may be a data privacy issue, but they think the additional requirement of facial verification would not be a huge thing to ask.

“There are privacy issues to consider, of course anytime that we process our personal information, but the fact of the matter is the data privacy law encompasses our MC Taxi apps, as they have their own data privacy managers as mandated by law,” Gutierrez said.

“We think this is a very minimum thing to ask, it is an easy requirement and it will be an additional verification for our passengers,” he added.

On Thursday, it was reported that a motorcycle taxi rider was stabbed to death by a passenger in Caloocan City.

Police reports said that the rider stopped along Talangka Street near Block 10,  beside a chapel in South Caloocan’s Barangay 20 early Tuesday morning.

“The suspect, the back rider, suddenly stabbed the victim on the left side of his body,” the police said. “After which, the suspect fled using the victim’s motorcycle, described as a black Yamaha Nmax V2, heading toward Tanigue Street to Talakitok, Barangay 20, Caloocan City.”

“The victim managed to run toward Tanigue Street but collapsed along the roadside, where Barangay 18 tanods (watchmen) found him. He was rushed to Caloocan City Medical Center but was declared dead on arrival,” they added.

Police identified the victim as a 46-year-old Quezon City resident.

The alleged suspect was later seen using the victim’s Yamaha motorcycle in Dulong Borromeo Proper in Barangay Longos, Malabon City, according to a follow-up police report.

READ: PNP to work with ride-hailing firms after motor taxi rider stabbings

On Thursday also, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will work closely with ride-hailing companies after two separate incidents in which motorcycle taxi riders were fatally stabbed in Caloocan City and in Cavite.

“The Philippine National Police recognizes the public’s concern following the recent incidents involving motorcycle taxi riders,” PNP said.

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“While these cases have been addressed through the arrest of the suspects, we will continue to work closely with motorcycle ride-hailing companies, local government units, and other stakeholders to strengthen measures that help protect riders, passengers, and the public while preventing similar incidents,” it added. /jpv