Many Philippines car rental companies report problems with highway police stopping obvious foreign drivers and attempting to extort ‘fines’ for bogus traffic offences.
Some companies even suggest telling authority figures that your Philippines car rental is actually borrowed from a friend, the logic being that highway police will presume you have less money than if you shelled out for a hire car in the Philippines.
Whatever tactic you chose to avoid police corruption, it pays to stay under the speed limit, wear a seatbelt and, of course, never to drive after drinking alcohol. This is also good advice as many of the roads in the country are in serious states of disrepair, while driving standards can also be extremely reckless. This, obviously, can make for a deadly combination without adequate care.
