FEBRUARY 13, 2026 — When a 23-year-old student jumped from the LRT-1 Fernando Poe Jr. Station in Quezon City last February 11, tragedy struck twice. The young man fell onto a passing vehicle driven by a 31-year-old engineer from Antipolo. The driver stopped, cooperated, and yet — was arrested on the spot. Released only after the victim’s father signed a notarized waiver, the motorist had already been branded guilty by circumstance.

This is the kind of injustice Senator JV Ejercito says must end. His proposed Defensive Driving Protection Act (Senate Bill No. 338) aims to shield drivers who can prove they were driving defensively — through dashcam footage, CCTV, or other evidence — from automatic detention. 

“It’s not right to detain anyone who was not negligent or for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our laws should not be a contributor to a string of bad luck,” Ejercito stressed.

And he’s not exaggerating. In 2024, a drunk motorcycle rider went against traffic along Skyway Stage 3 and collided with an AUV. The rider died, but the AUV driver — clearly the victim — was detained. Public outrage followed, yet the pattern remains: innocent motorists often end up behind bars while reckless ones escape accountability.

Ejercito’s bill doesn’t absolve drivers of liability if proven negligent. It simply ensures due process. 

“Due process should be followed and drivers who are also victims should not be immediately imprisoned, especially if they have evidence to prove the accident,” he said.

The senator argues that laws must evolve with technology. Dashcams and CCTV are no longer luxuries — they’re lifelines. They can prove whether a driver was careful or careless, whether he was a victim or a culprit. Yet under current practice, evidence often comes second to knee-jerk arrests.

So what’s at stake here? For us, it’s peace of mind. Imagine knowing you won’t be jailed for accidents you couldn’t prevent. Imagine a system where truth matters more than convenience, where drivers aren’t punished for fate’s cruelty.

But, the thing is, will law enforcers actually respect the evidence? Or will they cling to the old habit of arresting anyone involved in an accident just to show “action”? And how will victims’ families view this — justice, or a loophole protecting drivers at their expense?

Ejercito’s bill forces us to confront a bigger issue: in the Philippines, are motorists truly innocent until proven guilty, or guilty until proven innocent?

Innocent drivers aren’t criminals — so why does our system keep treating them like one?

(Image: Senate of the Philippines | Facebook)