MANILA, Philippines --- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has recorded a total of 36,848 crime incidents related to riding-in-tandem since 2010, including 8,805 deaths as of 2018, data from the office of Senator Richard Gordon showed on Friday.

From January to February 4 alone this year, 25 victims, including 24 who died, have already been recorded due to crimes committed by riding-in-tandem suspects, according to Gordon.

The 24 deaths are composed of 14 civilians, two government employees, a lawyer, a teacher, and six members of the police and military. The other victim who survived is a civilian.

Data from the senator's office showed the following breakdown for riding-in-tandem incidents recorded in the previous years:

2010 - 2,384

2011 - 2,843

2012 - 3,041

2013 - 3,632

2014 - 4,205

2015 - 3,991

2016 - 4,336

2017 - 3,977

2018 - 3,748

2019 - 3,842

January to May 2020 - 824

January 1 to February 2021 - 25

Gordon bared these figures as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which he chairs, resumed on Friday its hearing on the implementation of the Republic Act No. 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.

"For the last several years, more than 30,000 people have been victimized by riding in tandem in this country. People [were] killed, people's bags have been snatched, our roads are unsafe, our homes are unsafe," he said during the hearing.

On January 28, Gordon said 20 people have already been reported killed in the country by riding-in-tandem gunmen just for the said month. He said the data was based on the own monitoring of the staff of the Senate committee on justice and human rights.

EDV