2 Foreign National Tourists Arrested in Naga City for Not Possessing International Driver’s License – Something Stinks Here! TOPICS:life in philippineslive in philippinesretire in philippinesscams in philippines Posted By: Timothy Walker January 27, 2016 2 Foreign National Tourists Arrested in Naga City for Not Possessing International Driver’s License – Something Stinks Here! – www.philippineslifestyle.com NAGA CITY, Philippines – Naga City police have reported that two motorcycle-riding foreign nationals were arrested at Comelec checkpoints for driving without international driver’s license. The report smells a bit fishy from a tourist stand point as Naga City Police Office chief Senior Insp. Ireneo Andalis said they have been apprehending foreign tourist over the past several months after they rent motorcycles from Pili Motorcycle Operations. Andalis said that the tourist rent the motorcycles for 5,000 pesos for a two week span and do not possess the proper driver’s licenses for such activity. They are then caught at a checkpoint in town and no doubt corrupted and taken advantage of by the same said police. In lieu of a recent bullet planting scam, this scam seems to resonate some of the same principals based on extorting money from the white skinned members who are in the country spending dollars. PH law does not designate that a tourist must have an international driver’s license, so, the unknowing are being arrested and forced into what? – and once again the powers-to-be want to know why tourism in the Philippines is the lowest of any Asian country
Didn't think that driving without a license was a criminal offense that came with jail time in the Philippines. Maybe I'm just ignorant on the law but it does seem a bit suspicious to me.
It wouldn't surprise me if the cops were in with the motorcycle renters and splitting the profits between them.
The word Arrest here may not mean what it means elsewhere. The police will handcuff someone and take them to the station and call this "custodial interrogation" but it's Not Arrest. Authorities here pretty much do what they want. :( :(
Tourists, who are renting a motorcycle for two weeks, sounds to me they might only stay for 30 days the length of validity of their Visa on Arrival. As long as they have a valid license of their home country, that is enough. Have no idea what will be the fine when driving around without a license @all. But if so, the company who is renting out motorcycles is wrong as well. So a set up between PNP and renting company is more than likely to extort money. More fun in the PH as always.
An IDL translates the license into English. I cannot see what country the 'foreigners' come from or if their license is in English or if their license has a motorcycle endorsement. Too many unanswered questions to make a snap judgement. Perhaps they are being hauled off to jail for failure to comply with a police officer but the reporting is sloppy?
