MANILA, Philippines - We risk extending his 15 minutes of infamy, but it’s a lesson that bears repeating. Short-fused, heavy-handed Robert Blair Carabuena, by virtue of his assault on hapless Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic constable Saturnino Fabros, has forfeited the right to be behind the wheel.
“Regarding his (Carabuena’s) license, we wrote Asec. (Virginia) Torres for (its) revocation… for the reason that we feel that this person is unfit to drive because he would be a menace and a danger not only to traffic constables, but other motorists,” reiterated assistant GM Atty. Emerson Carlos. Indeed, direct assault charges have been leveled against Carabuena, and the matter has been elevated to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. How many times can you say “cautionary tale”?
Atty. Carlos also commented on a subsequent case involving Samson Rivero, a another motorist who allegedly drew his gun on an MMDA constable, Danilo Dagunot. “Immediately, an inquest was made against that person… the case is ongoing,” he said. The recommendation? You guessed it: revocation of license.
The MMDA official was on hand at the Automobile Association of the Philippines’ recent inaugural “Usapan sa AAP” forum held at its EDSA offices. The guest of honor was Department of Transportation and Communications Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres, who concurrently sits as Land Transportation Office chief. Also on the “Usapan” panel were AAP officers Augusto Lagman, Johnny Angeles, Aida Sevilla-Mendoza, and Jogy Mantaring. Moderating the forum was STAR columnist and motoring writer Cito Beltran.
Torres confirmed that MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino indeed “requested” her office to revoke Carabuena’s license. While she understood the appeal, Torres underscored: “We also consider due process in law.” The actual violation of the cigarette company executive was beating a red light (Torres admitted it can be a basis for license revocation), but now it’s a matter for the court to decide on, obviously because of the assault.
Meanwhile, the LTO chief also warned motorcycle riders not to make illegal modifications on their rides—such as switching to high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, which are a bane to oncoming traffic. Another unwelcome tinkering is on the exhaust system, which usually has the effect of increasing noise. The agency will clamp down on offenders.
“There’s no need to remodel. They are designed to be complete,” Torres said, referring to off-the-showroom models.
When asked by the STAR to report on the success of the motorcycle lane, Atty. Carlos said: “There is a big drop in the number of accidents involving motorcycles. What is more significant about it is that there have been zero fatalities since the implementation of the blue (motorcycle) lane policy.”
As for the strict enforcement of the bus lane: “We have experienced a dip in the number of accidents involving buses.” However, Atty. Carlos admitted to “congestion points… on a daily basis, particularly in areas with tunnels and where buses need to use service roads.”
Even as the MMDA continues to study the situation and the possible best solution to the crippling traffic, the assistant GM reported that buses would still be prohibited from using said tunnels and flyovers “for safety reasons.”
On the other hand, Torres explained the cause behind the late issuance of license plates for new vehicles. Defective plates with bubbling on the finish were returned to the supplier for replacement. The contractor admitted to production problems (and assured complete batch replacement). Once everything is up to speed, production capacity should be able to keep up with vehicle acquisitions. Torres said she was promised delivery of 4,000 units a day.
The DOTC official insisted that, pending plate delivery, the vehicle’s OR/CR should suffice. A memorandum circular has been issued within the LTO to this end. Torres volunteered that she wrote other agencies (including the Philippine National Police, which has a “no-plate, no-travel policy”) to excuse concerned motorists.
“Anything that concerns motorists, we want to be involved in it,” said AAP president Augusto Lagman, on organizing the forum. “We would like to make motoring a pleasure.”
One hopes that “Usapan sa AAP” will indeed be a regular venue for the media (and ultimately, the public) to know what our government is doing to help us achieve that ever-elusive dream.