Community shows support as cyclist laid to rest

MANILA, Philippines – An outpouring of support, prayers, and sympathy came from the cycling community as they joined Lorelie Melevo’s friends and family in laying her to rest in Cainta, Rizal on Saturday, January 9.

Lorelie Melevo was a 30-year-old single mother of two who died on January 5 after being hit by a dump truck at a Marikina City bike lane. Her friends, family, and the cycling community are one in their call for justice.

The We Want Bike Lanes in RP Movement organized a bike ride from Melevo’s home in Marikina to her final resting place at Heaven’s Gate in Antipolo. They assembled at 6:30 am and began to ride out at 9 am.

Lorelie’s sister, Beverly Melevo, has simple demands: respect bike lanes and its users and implement stricter rules. She urged officials to become more serious in their actions to prevent incidents like these, she says in a phone interview.

Beverly is saddened that, even after the incident, drivers’ attitudes toward bike lanes seem to have not changed. Beverly herself saw trucks were disregarding bike lanes.

“Kahit kanina, noong after ng libing… yung mga truck talagang dinadaanan nila yung bicycle lane,” she said. (Even after the burial, trucks were passing through the bicycle lane.)

Full support

Beverly said not a day went by that there weren’t any bikers in attendance at the wake. She thanked them for their comfort, financial support, and prayers.

“Hindi ko ine-expect na hanggang playground ng chapel napuno… sobrang bilib din ako sa mga bikers na talagang todo-support sila,” she said. (I did not expect that the crowd of sympathizers would be this much that they even filled up the chapel’s playground… I really admire these bikers and their overwhelming support.)

She also thanked the officials of the local governments of Cainta and Marikina, with some reported to have offered help regarding the children left behind from Lorelie’s untimely death.

Beverly, along with the cyclist’s groups, is calling for justice not just for her sister, but for all the the other victims, especially cyclists and pedestrians who were victims of “hit and run” incidents, which she says are worse off since the perpetrators remain at large.

The We Want Bike Lanes in RP Movement, along with other concerned groups, launched a Change.org petition after Lorelie’s death, asking for the passage of several laws protecting bikers and the establishment of safer bike lanes. – Rappler.com

Joshua Justin Ramos is a Rappler intern. He graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a degree in Philippine Studies.