MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) literally has a small solution to a big problem.

In a press conference on Monday, June 4, Director General Oscar Albayalde said cops are planning to use stickers on motorcycles to prevent riding-in-tandem shootings all over the Philippines. (READ: 4 killed a day by riding-in-tandem gunmen in the Philippines)

“We are planning to revive and improve the sticker systems for motorcycles that we inspect,” Albayalde said in a mix of English and Filipino in a Camp Crame news conference.

From October 2017 to May 2018, cops counted 880 killings perpetrated by what they call motorcycle-riding suspects (MRS), or 4 a day on average.

NOW: PNP chief Oscar Albayalde holds a press briefing in Camp Crame. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/IgHMatH6EZ

— Rambo Talabong (@rambotalabong) June 4, 2018

How will it work? According to Albayalde, they are looking at having distinctly designed stickers per province. Cops will post the stickers on the “most visible part” of motorcycles, still to be decided by PNP officials.

Whenever a riding-in-tandem shooting occurs, police will intensify checkpoint operations.

With the stickers, cops can easily spot riders of interest: those who don’t have stickers and those who have different stickers from different provinces.

The stickers will also come in handy when crimes are committed along streets with security cameras. With stickers visible on camera, cops would be able to narrow down suspects to a particular province.

Security concerns? According to new PNP Highway Patrol Group chief Roberto Fajardo, they want to make the stickers mandatory for all motorcycle riders. Ultimately, however, he said local government units should require them.

Albayalde dismissed doubts that the stickers could be easily copied and stolen.

He said the PNP would use technology “of this time” such as hologram-printed labels and stronger adhesives so that attempts at removal would ruin the stickers. 

Fajardo added that the PNP is already crafting guidelines for the stickers, and for other solutions to riding-in-tandem killings. – Rappler.com