20-year-old British tourist dies in Siargao moped crash

MANILA, Philippines – A 20-year-old British tourist died in a bike crash in Siargao, Surigao del Norte, on Monday, February 10, a Daily Mail report said.

Jack Whitelaw, who was on vacation in Siargao, rented a moped – a type of a type of small motorcycle. While driving the bike along a dark road on the island, he encountered an accident and crashed against a tree.

The Daily Mail report said that Paul was allowed to rent the moped even if he had no  license.

Jack’s father, Paul, arrived in the Philippines to repatriate his son’s remains a day after the incident. When Paul arrived, he received a message from Lukay Resort – the hostel where his son rented the moped – asking him and his wife to pay for fees and for the repairs of the crashed motorcycle. The hostel staff also sent him a copy of the waiver signed by Jack.

“My thoughts right now are that anger has turned to rage,” Daily Mail quoted Paul as saying.

He noted that his son was allowed to rent the bike even if he had “never driven a motorcycle in his life” and had “no license.”

Paul threatened the hostel with a lawsuit.

“You gave him a motorbike without a license and as soon as I have finished getting him home, I’m going to get a Philippines lawyer and sue for what you did to him. Philippine law says you MUST have a license to use one. Why would you give one? My son paid with his life,” he told the hostel in an exchange of messages that he provided the Daily Mail.

Daily Mail said Lukay Resort later withdrew its request for payment but maintained that they “did not do anything illegal.”

According to Republic Act No. 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, any person operating any motor vehicle in the country should always have a valid license in order to drive a motor vehicle.

The law also provides that only tourists who are “duly licensed to operate motor vehicles in their respective countries” are allowed to operate motor vehicles for up to 90 days in the Philippines. – Rappler.com