KIDAPAWAN CITY — January 1, 2026 | While many Filipinos were celebrating the arrival of the New Year, police in Kidapawan City spent the early dawn chasing down reckless riders and illegal drag racers disturbing the peace along the national highway.
In a forceful law enforcement operation past midnight along Quezon Boulevard, Poblacion, Kidapawan City, police intercepted a group of motorcycle riders engaged in illegal racing and causing excessive noise on the road. Authorities seized 50 modified motorcycles, many of which lacked proper documentation such as the Certificate of Registration (CR) and Official Receipt (OR) issued by the Land Transportation Office.
Several riders were also caught during pursuit and checkpoint operations between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., according to police.
PLt. Col. Arjay Celeste, acting chief of the Kidapawan City Police Station, said their personnel greeted the New Year not in social festivities, but on the streets — ensuring no lives would be put at risk due to illegal drag racing and unsafe, modified motorcycles.
“These activities pose great danger not only to riders but to other motorists and communities along the highway,” Celeste emphasized, noting that some of the confiscated units were found with loud, modified mufflers and suspected “kalkal” or chop-chop parts.
Aside from the noise and violation of traffic laws, authorities stressed that the involvement of minors and young riders in the illegal races heightened public safety concerns.
As police continued their New Year duty inside the station, officers processed the confiscated motorcycles and prepared appropriate charges for violations under RA 4136 (Land Transportation and Traffic Code) and other traffic regulations.
Owners may only reclaim their motorcycles if they can present complete legal documents and restore the units to standard condition. However, authorities warned that most of the suspected chop-chop motorcycles are unlikely to be released due to insufficient papers.
Celeste said this is only the beginning of Kidapawan PNP’s intensified crackdown and vowed more operations in the coming days to put an end to illegal drag racing and the use of illegally modified motorcycles in the city.
“We will not allow reckless behavior on the road to ruin lives,” he said.