No sir! The flyover is not part of the summit!

I've been out of Cebu for most of the week, so we couldn't make any follow-ups on the articles we wrote last week, especially on that controversial flyover. I couldn't help but notice yesterday's report of Rene Borromeo on this controversy which said, "Reports, reaching the nuns, have stated that the construction is part of the city preparations for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in December. The flyover is supposed to ensure a smooth traffic flow for the ASEAN delegates who will be going to and from Marriott Hotel at the Cebu Business Park and the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel in Lahug. But The Freeman learned that the city's infrastructure committee had already discussed the flyover project in the area three years ago."

From this report, it seems that someone in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) just told Mr. Borromeo that the planned flyover at the junction along Rosales Ave. and Juan Luna Ave. is part of the preparations for the ASEAN Summit. So let me say it here as bluntly as I can that someone is lying through his teeth! I wish that Rene Borromeo identified this fellow so we can tell him in front of his nose that he is doing a "Pinocchio" whose nose grows every time he tells a lie! Whoever this fellow is, we should tell him to go to confession, especially in this Holy Week for telling a blatant lie and lying is a sin!

First of all, if this flyover is constructed today, I'm willing to bet my last centavo that it won't be finished in time for the ASEAN Summit. Our record for flyover construction is a minimum of 10 months for the construction period. I would even add that if this construction were done today, it would only worsen the traffic at the height of the ASEAN Summit.

The truth of the matter is, when this flyover was concocted by the DPWH I was still running things in CITOM and we opposed it simply because it wasn't a priority area as far as traffic is concerned. The priority areas in my time were Mango Ave. corner M J Cuenco Ave. and I would like to say that it is still a priority today. Well today, it is still not a priority, but another priority area has surfaced and that is the Foodland junction, thanks to the opening of the Banilad Town Center, where traffic has gone from bad to worse. We ought to build a flyover in that junction.

It's bad enough that the DPWH does not consult with the traffic management or CITOM as to what the priority areas are and where flyovers ought to be constructed. But it galls me that, in their desire to build this flyover in the wrong area, they'd go to the extent of lying to the Cebuanos so they could ram this flyover down our throats!

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When will our Congress stop this nonsense called Pork Barrel? I was aghast by the insensitivity of the members of the House of Representatives when I read the Philippine Star report that they padded their Pork Barrel by P4.7 billion or an additional P20 million per Congressman or woman! What's this? A bonus for supporting EVAT or a bonus for pushing for the "People's Initiative?"

Whatever reason or justification they can sell to the people, I say that this is downright immoral and if we do not see red banners marching against this foolishness, it is due to the fact that even the opposition Congressmen and women, including all the Party-List Representatives, who belong to the opposite sides of the ideology spectrum get a piece of this bonus!

Where are the so-called Civil Society, the running priest, those bishops and nuns who oppose the administration of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA)? Why aren't they howling against this not-so-clever sleight of hand in getting more taxpayers money into the pocket of the corrupt? The whole trouble with Filipino society today is, they are selective in their advocacy. And when the times call for them to cry out against the machinations of Congress, they are nowhere to be found!

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Our good friend, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. who is currently the Presidential Adviser for Electoral Reforms has called for massive reforms in our political system. I fully support his call and I have always believed that we ought to start by depoliticizing our political system. First, let's get rid of that archaic, Marcos era creation called the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and give the funding to the Boys and Girls Scouts and the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). Secondly, we should amend the Constitution making the Pork Barrel unconstitutional and pay our legislators handsome salaries, so when they can no longer touch the people's money, those crooks in Congress won't be seeking an elective post anymore.

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