Rep. Bong Suntay has announced that he will file a House counterpart to Senate Bill No. 338, meaning he intends to introduce a matching version of the Senate proposal in the House of Representatives so it can undergo separate deliberation in the lower chamber. Under the legislative process, a measure must be approved by both the Senate and the House before it can become law.
His planned bill mirrors Senate Bill No. 338 filed by JV Ejercito, which seeks to formally define “defensive driving” and prevent the automatic detention of motorists involved in road accidents when credible and objective evidence—such as dashcam or CCTV footage—shows they complied with traffic laws and exercised due care. Suntay said the proposal promotes technology-based and evidence-driven assessments and ensures that decisions to detain or file charges are proportional and legally grounded rather than routine.
The move comes after a recent fatal incident at an LRT-1 station renewed debate over the automatic detention of drivers in traffic-related deaths.
Beyond legislation, Suntay is also advocating institutional reforms within the Philippine National Police and traffic investigation units. These include deeper legal training on the elements of crimes, proximate cause analysis, and evidentiary thresholds, as well as the adoption of a structured element-check matrix before recommending charges and mandatory consultation with prosecutors in borderline cases.
Moreover, Suntay was among the five lawmakers who voted against the 60-day suspension without pay imposed on Cavite 4th District Rep. Kiko Barzaga during plenary deliberations in the House of Representatives. Barzaga was sanctioned over social media posts deemed “offensive” and “reckless” by the Ethics Committee. Suntay said his dissenting vote was based on principle and in defense of freedom of speech.
