OBLIQUE OBSERVATIONS
By Atty. Gilberto Lauengco, J.D.

Marilaque Road in Rizal province is a haven for motorcycle riders. Recently, it has been a popular area for stunts and street racing of the two-wheeled vehicle variety. Unfortunately, a tragic accident that occurred in the area has put to light a dangerous hobby among riders that caused the death of a popular “motovlogger” known as the “Superman of Marilaque”. The hobby is known as stunt riding on public highways and one of the more popular form of the same is the “Superman” stunt.
The stunt is named after the famous DC comics hero Superman. It has some variations but the more common form of the stunt is a technique where the riders would lie prone on the seat and briefly raise their legs while traversing a curved road at high speed. It is not a new type of stunt as it has been around for years and known in other parts of the world as planking.
A few days ago, two riders were attempting to perform the said technique when they lost control, got entangled and crashed into a group of bystanders and their motorcycles. The famous vlogger died while the other rider was injured along with some bystanders in the area. In the aftermath of the accident, officials of the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) have reminded the public that stunt riding on public roads is illegal as it is against Republic Act 4163.
Stunt riding per se is not illegal. It is a legitimate form of entertainment or sport as long as the rider is properly trained and the activity is done in a privately owned controlled environment with all the safety features in place for both the rider and more importantly the public. When stunt riding is done in a public place, it is not only illegal but dangerous as well. Despite all the attendant risks of public stunt riding, several riders still insist on continuing these dangerous activities.
What is more disturbing is the reason for the increase in these dangerous stunts. Apparently, the stunt was performed for content. With blogging becoming a popular form of income generation, more and more people are trying to outdo each other with ever increasing bizarre and sometimes dangerous content. The internet is slowly being flooded with people doing dangerous activities or stunts to garner more views. Inevitably, these activities will lead to accidents, injuries and as in this case fatalities. Not only are the content creators at risk but the general public as well.
There is also a dangerous mindset growing among new content creators that they have the right to do these stunts and that other people should mind their own business. Some of them even revel in the bashing and criticisms that come their way as it adds more views to their platforms. Perhaps it is time to nip these forms of content before something more tragic happens.
This is my oblique observation.