By I. Inojales | 06:24 PM August 09, 2025
LOON, BOHOL – A local motorcycle enthusiast group, BOHOL Bikers, has called on the Loon Police to conduct proper sound level testing after one of its members was apprehended for using an aftermarket muffler without a decibel meter test on Saturday morning, August 9, 2025.
In a Facebook post, the group questioned the procedure, saying, “LOON? Makatingala ba, manghuli ug muffler nga aftermarket pero walay gamit nga decibel meter—mata-mata ug dunggan ra. Base sa LTO ug DENR rules, kinahanglan naay proper sound level testing gamit ang calibrated decibel meter before mag-issue ug violation.”
The group added that following the correct process would be “fair to everyone.”
Improvised muffler
However, in an official statement, the Loon Municipal Police Station (MPS) said the operation was conducted from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. along the National Highway in Barangay Moto Sur, where a motorcycle with an improvised muffler was flagged down.
Police cited Municipal Ordinance No. 22-008, Series of 2022, Article IV, Section 4 of the Loon Municipal Codes, which prohibits the operation of any vehicle with an improvised muffler that produces “loud and disturbing sound” within the municipality. The rider was issued a citation ticket, and the muffler was confiscated in lieu of impounding the motorcycle, as allowed under Article IV, Section 21.
The case was also forwarded to the PNP Highway Patrol Group–Bohol as a violation of Republic Act 4136, Article IV, Section 34(j), which regulates defective or unauthorized motorcycle parts, including open pipe mufflers.
The Loon police clarified that a decibel meter is not required in such cases, as open-pipe or “kinalkal” mufflers are visibly non-compliant and are grounds for immediate enforcement. The operations, they said, respond to persistent complaints from residents about noise pollution, particularly affecting senior citizens.
Police Captain Thomas Zen Cheung defended the police action, saying, “Dili ta musugot nga yano-yanohon ra ang atuang kapulisan nga matinud-anong nagpatuman sa balaod.” (We will not allow our police to be belittled when they are faithfully enforcing the law.)
The Loon MPS reminded the public that aftermarket mufflers are not outright banned, but they must meet legal standards and noise regulations.
