GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 24 October ) — Kidapawan City Mayor Paolo Evangelista has taken a novel approach to cracking down on illegal drag racing: calling out alleged participants directly on his Facebook page for what he jokingly called a “thesis defense,” a move that drew laughter online but also highlighted real concerns over road safety.
In a Facebook post on October 21, Evangelista publicly named two minors he identified as “Payat” and “Royroy,” urging their parents to bring them to his office for the supposed defense.
“Mamalihug ko sa ginikanan ni ‘Payat’ ug sa iyang kauban nga si Royroy, pakidala ang inyong mga anak sa akoang opisina, 8 a.m. karong Huwebes kay naa silay thesis defense,” he wrote.
(I’m asking the parents of Roderick J. Ambat a.k.a. ‘Payat’ and his companion Royroy to bring their sons to my office at 8 a.m. this Thursday because they have a thesis defense.)
He also asked parents to bring the motorcycles their sons allegedly used for drag racing, “kay desisyunan nato kung ipa-pison ba o dili.”
(So the city can decide whether the motorcycles should be crushed.)
The post, which included a selfie of the two boys with their motorcycles, quickly went viral, drawing more than 27,000 reactions, 4,100 comments, and 6,200 shares as of Friday afternoon.
Thesis defense
On October 23, the mayor held the “defense proper,” posting a photo of him meeting with the young riders he had called out.
“Thesis defense. Postponed ang pag-pison kay daghan pa daw gusto mu-apas sa pag defend. Pang hutdon nato ni sila tanan,” he wrote.
(Thesis defense. The crushing of the motorcycles is postponed because others reportedly want to join the defense. We’ll deal with them all.)
The following day, he posted a new list of additional names, joking that “many more” wanted to join the defense. By then, Evangelista’s feed had filled with photos and screenshots of young riders posing beside their motorcycles, or their ‘My Day’ highlights.
Social media parody
The joke quickly spread beyond the mayor. In the comments section of his October 21 post, residents joined in, turning the “thesis defense” into a running parody.
Among them was Sheldon Lee Neniel, a local high school teacher, who left a mock research proposal titled “Vroom Vroom Kidapawan: The Civilian’s Wild Thoughts on Motor Drag Racing.”
Styled like a graduate thesis, Neniel’s comment began with an humorous introduction.
“Let’s be real, if you live in Kidapawan, you’ve probably heard it: ‘Brrrrrttt! Wapak! Wapak!’ at 2 a.m. No, it’s not a typhoon. It’s the legendary motor drag racers showing off their mufflers and broken sleep schedules,” he wrote.
The parody included objectives such as “to identify the top reasons why ‘tambay ni sa kanto’ (loiterers) become ‘racer sa highway’ (highway racers)” and playful respondent qualifications.
“Kinahanglan buhi. Kinahanglan naay dalunggan. Mas maayo kung nakasinggit na og ‘Hoy! Hinay-hinay oy!’ usa ka beses,” he added.
(Must be alive. Must have ears. Preferably has shouted ‘Hey! Slow down!’ at least once.)
The comment drew attention from many Kidapawan residents, serving as both civic satire and an outlet for frustration over the city’s drag racing issue.
Drag racing dangers
While the “thesis defense” drew laughter online, the mayor’s warnings reflect a real danger on Kidapawan roads. Earlier this month, a 20-year-old motorcycle rider was killed while two others were injured in an alleged drag race.
CCTV footage showed a multipurpose vehicle crossing Sinsuat Street around 1 a.m. on Sunday, October 5, when it was struck by a speeding motorcycle.
The rider died on the spot, while the 22-year-old driver of the vehicle and his 20-year-old female companion were hospitalized.
Kidapawan City Police Chief, Lt. Col. Jose Marie Simangan, told GMA Regional News TV that the crash involved two men racing illegally.
“Pag-abot nila doon sa may crossing sa Sinsuat St., may mag-right turn doon na isang sasakyan. Sa kasamaang palad, nakalusot po yung isa, pero yung isang motorcycle drag racer gamit ang kanyang motorcycle ay nabangga niya na sasakyan,” he said.
(When they reached the crossing at Sinsuat Street, another vehicle was making a right turn. Fortunately, one rider avoided a collision, but the other one crashed into the car.)
Evangelista shared the video on his page, warning against stunts such as the “Superman” maneuver, in which a rider lies flat on the seat with arms stretched forward.
“Dili tungod kay ‘passion’ o ‘thrill’ ninyo, sabton na dayun mo sa katilingban. Kay kanang ‘passion’ ninyo, posible mao nay hinungdan sa inyong kamatayon,” the mayor wrote on Facebook, October 7.
(It’s not because it’s your so-called ‘passion’ or ‘thrill’ that society should understand you. That same ‘passion’ could be the cause of your death.)
As of this writing, Evangelista’s “thesis defense” posts continue to circulate online, showing how local leaders are increasingly using social media for both civic engagement and public accountability. (Guia A. Rebollido / MindaNews)
