A Ban on Racing?

**gearspeed** · September 6th, 2005 02:52 PM

Racing ban ready for GMA’s OK

By Ira Panganiban, Correspondent

THE order for the ban on all forms of motorsports in the country had been drafted and is now sitting on President Arroyo’s table ready for her signature, a source close to Energy Secretary Rafael Lotilla revealed to The Manila Times.

The source, asking he not be named, declined to elaborate on the contents of the ban and how thorough the prohibition will be.

On Friday Energy Under-secretary Peter Abaya said the order would just be a revival of the old martial-law edict of former President Ferdinand Marcos prohibiting all forms of races in the country. This covered all racing disciplines.

Ace driver Pocholo Ramirez lamented the impending ban on Saturday, saying this would put a lot of people involved in the motorsports industry out of work.

He said the move would kill the dreams of Filipino youngsters hoping to join and drive in the prestigious Formula One series.

The Department of Energy’s move is part of President Arroyo’s campaign to save on fuel, the cost of which has been steadily rising in the world market.

But racing organizations, in separate statements, said the energy department should do its math and find out if motorsports are really wasting a lot of fuel.

Officials of the Asian Formula 3 series, one of the prominent racing events being held in the country, said one race on their circuit only consumes about 20,000 liters of fuel, equivalent to half a day’s consumption on traffic-jam-ridden EDSA.

The Automobile Association of the Philippines intends to petition the President to rethink the ban or add more regulations to ensure more fuel savings.

Abaya, a motoring enthusiast himself, said on Friday he will try to block the ban, saying this will only result in a worse scenario where illegal races are held and terrible accidents happen.

**kimpOy** · September 6th, 2005 02:59 PM

booo...
what they must regulate is the gas guzzling SUV's they have and those govt vehicles that are still use late in the evening (saw one yesterday at PierOne in Ortigas, with engine running endlessly why the driver's inside sleeping i assume with aircon on)

**Bogeyman** · September 6th, 2005 03:43 PM

Labo naman nun.

Motorsports serve as showcases of new/experimental automotive technologies, including the use of alternative fuel sources such as ethanol over crude oil. Isa pa, dapat nga magpasalamat pa ang gobyerno, dahil may venue ang mga drivers para mailabas ang pagiging mainit nila sa manibela, imbes na sa kalsada.

**Josh0027** · September 6th, 2005 04:01 PM

thats pure BS... who is the one who endorsed this???

**mantoy** · September 6th, 2005 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by kimpOy

what they must regulate is the gas guzzling SUV's ...

yep. dapat yun ang pansinin. regulate those gas guzzlers.

**zeagle** · September 6th, 2005 05:22 PM

Pampapogi decision nanaman ng Malacanang kung matuloy.

**niky** · September 7th, 2005 03:06 PM

I said this on my "home board" (fordclubph.com), and I'll paste it here:

Although I do think we need to save on gas, it's also better to encourage legal motorsports to dissuade illegal racing... imagine all those "pro" scooter racers who are going to go back to the streets and who WILL end up in the hospitals again. This is a very bad move. Keep racing legal and crack down more on illegal racing if they want to promote conservation.