2 dead, 12 hurt from accidents linked to motorcycle endurance challenge in Mindanao
A seven-year-old child and a rider were killed, and 12 others were injured in separate incidents during a motorcycle endurance challenge in Mindanao held this past weekend.
The Land Transportation Office is now investigating the Boss Ironman Challenge Mindanao Cup 2026, which took place in several parts of Mindanao from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, due to the numerous accidents linked to the event. According to a report by 24 Oras, among the injured were spectators who were minors.
According to the LTO, the 1,288-km endurance challenge had around 1,000 participants. The riders started in General Santos City and traversed a route that included parts of the Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Several accidents were recorded by CCTV footage across Mindanao. In Digos, Davao del Sur, a speeding challenge participant hit a tricycle from behind. In Talakag, Bukidnon, another motorcycle rider hit a flower delivery rider, who fractured his right foot from the resulting fall. In Picong, Lanao del Sur, a motorcycle went under a bus.
Other race-related incidents recorded by LTO occurred in Compostela, Davao de Oro; Capiton, Maguindanao del Norte; Kawit, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte; Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur; Kabacan, North Cotabato; and Kibawe, Bukidnon.
One of the fatalities linked to the event was a rider who figured in an accident in Kibawe, Bukidnon. The LTO did not give specific details of the seven-year-old's death, only that it was the result of one of the collisions involving participants and civilian vehicles. The incident is currently under investigation.
Multiple violations
LTO chief, assistant secretary Markus V. Lacanilao, said the riders participating in the challenge, which was not designed to be a race, violated numerous traffic rules.
"They committed a massive amount of traffic violations. Most of them were purely reckless, running through traffic lights. That was happening day and night, and we have captured videos where they were just crossing straight through without stopping. Also, they were overtaking on double yellow lanes. They did many things like that," Lacanilao said in a statement.
Furthermore, the agency said the event organizers did not coordinate with LTO.
"Based on reviews of viral videos and images, specific traffic violations are alleged to have occurred during the event, in violation of Republic Act No. 4136. These include overspeeding, use of unauthorized vehicle accessories and modifications, illegal blinkers, failure to stop at red lights, and disregard for road signs, including mandatory stop signs and lane markers," said LTO in a statement.
The agency has announced it will issue a show-cause order to the BMW Owners' Society of Safe Riders, which organized the Boss Ironman Challenge Mindanao Cup 2026.
"The heartbreaking footage we saw circulating online is a stark reminder that road safety is non-negotiable—every life on our roads matters, especially the most vulnerable among us, like children. Private motor events must never come at the cost of innocent lives," said Lacanilao.
BMW Owners Society of Safe Riders, Inc. issues a statement
According to the organizers of the event, they did carry out their preparations "in close coordination with local government units, the Philippine National Police, the Land Transportation Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and other government agencies..."
In their statement, they enumerated the safety precautions mandated by the organizers: a mandatory overnight rest-stop, group-riding of five to 10 riders to prevent racing, insurance coverage for all participants, and the use of a mobile phone app with a GPS tracker.
The group added they conducted briefings before the event, in which they repeatedly emphasized the importance of heeding all road safety regulations.
"Despite these measures, we acknowledge with humility that risks can never be completely eliminated in events involving motorcycles and traveling over a substantial distance," the organizers said.
They added that they are committing to undergoing a comprehensive review of their protocols and "cooperate with the appropriate government agency in this regard."
