ILOILO City – Two motorcycles collided head-on during the recent Puma Half Marathon Series – Iloilo Leg, sparked calls for scrutiny over safety measures during large-scale road events.
Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s committees on Transportation and Public Safety, said the City Council has already requested incident reports from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other concerned offices to establish exactly what transpired during the Sunday, July 12 incident along Diversion Road.
“While we recognize and support the value, impact, and contribution of major events such as this towards tourism and community wellness, public safety remains our priority. Once the PNP incident report is available, we will have a clearer picture of what transpired and determine our succeeding steps,” Cabaluna said.
But even as initial findings indicate the crash was caused by alleged human error rather than shortcomings in traffic management, Councilor Nene Dela Llana suggested that road events may be held only at the Iloilo Esplanade or the Iloilo Sunset Boulevard to avert accidents.
The Diversion Road, according to Dela Llana, is not ideal for road events such as fun runs because this is a busy and major artery being used by both public utility vehicles and private vehicles.
The recent road crash triggered calls for a review of safety measures for major road events, although city officials stressed that organizers had complied with all requirements before securing approval for the marathon.
Cabaluna said organizers coordinated with the Traffic and Transportation Management Office (TTMO) and the Public Order and Safety Management Office (POSMO) and submitted the required affidavit of undertaking covering the safety of participants and non-participants.
“The organizers of the Puma Half Marathon complied with these requirements, including submitting an affidavit of undertaking to ensure the safety of both participants and non-participants during the event,” Cabaluna said.
Under the city’s road closure ordinance, TTMO is responsible for implementing traffic management plans, installing advance notices, and deploying traffic aides, while organizers are tasked with ensuring public safety in coordination with the office.
TTMO head Uldarico Garbanzos said their initial assessment points to “human error” instead of deficiencies in traffic management.
“Very unfortunate gid. Pero kon kami ang magtan-aw, human error ang cause sang sini nga aksidente,” Garbanzos said.
According to Garbanzos, one of the motorcycles had earlier figured in a minor accident near the San Rafael traffic light before the fatal collision inside the race route.
“Our personnel assisted them after they fell. We also noticed indications that they had been drinking and repeatedly reminded them that traffic had been modified because of the fun run and instructed them to stay on the right side of the road,” he said.
Despite the warnings, the motorcycle allegedly continued into the race area, where it collided head-on with another motorcycle.
POSMO also reported that the back rider was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol.
Traffic enforcers had allegedly advised the rider not to continue driving after the earlier incident and informed them that only one lane was open to motorists because of the marathon.
The city government said organizers had secured all necessary permits and coordinated with TTMO and POSMO before the event, including the installation of traffic cones, blinkers, marshals, and emergency response measures.
Following the incident, Garbanzos said he is open to holding future fun runs and active mobility events at Sunset Boulevard, where traffic could be managed more efficiently.
“It is a good idea to have these activities in one area because management will be more controlled. Still, many major cities also conduct marathons on their main roads, provided proper traffic management is in place,” he said.
The Iloilo City Government reminded motorists to obey temporary traffic schemes and avoid driving under the influence of alcohol, particularly during major public events involving road closures./PN
