Monday mega madness

Was the horrendous traffic all over the entire Metro Manila last Monday evening simply a “one of” situation, or was it just an introduction to more of mega traffic jams for the rest of the rainy seasons?

Considering the extent and discomfort that thousands of commuters experienced that early evening, the possibility of another repeat or several replays is frightening enough for all us to ask: What’s the real score, who is really in charge and how do we avoid having to experience more of last Monday’s mega madness.

While monitoring the situation and reading posts on Facebook and Twitter as well, I now have the impression that the P-Noy administration must have the biggest number of “spokespersons” than any administration in Philippine history because what most of his officials generally do is explain, or inform the public about ongoing problems and disasters that the public are already well aware of. What P-Noy’s best and brightest seem to fail at is coming up with good research, good plans, and actual implementation of solutions. Instead, they have become part of the problem and not the solution.

By this time, we should all be fed up and stop accepting the excuse that torrential rain or unusual downpours are causing the floods and subsequently causing traffic jams. The entire Southeast Asia experience torrential rains; rains and floods are nothing new. Enough of the blame game where “the poor” and squatters are made responsible for garbage clogging esteros! I especially got annoyed when MMDA sources started saying that some drainage holes were intentionally being closed by men to cause floods in order to make money pushing stalled cars and collect coins for makeshift pedestrian “bridges.” Even the MMDA Chairman was quoted as saying that last Monday’s mega madness was partly caused by street diggings.

All these are used and abused excuses that we swallow and allows the incompetent and the irresponsible to maintain their positions of influence and power. We are paying taxes so that esteros are de-clogged; we pay taxes so the MMDA and the DILG enforce the laws such as not allowing shanties and illegal settlers on rivers and esteros. We pay taxes so the police, mayors and the MMDA arrest criminals causing artificial flooding. Yes taxes are supposed to guarantee us law enforcement and basic services. We don’t pay taxes in order to hear excuses and explanations where we need action and performance.

Yes, there is global warming and supposedly more rain. But what is President Noynoy Aquino and his advisers doing about it. We are already good at disaster preparedness but that only helps in disasters. What is being done to limit the impact of rain, redirecting water flows and increasing the absorption capacity of large areas of Metro Manila which at the moment has been covered by so much concrete turning our roads into nothing more than basins and canals. Trying to save the Philippine coconut is great but when will this government implement a legitimate and logical urban greening, tree-planting program?

The fact of the matter is that we have floods and monster traffic jams all over Metro Manila all the way to the SLEX, because for the longest time, the Department of Interior and Local Government has not done anything to crack the whip, file cases and haul the ass of Mayors and MMDA officials to court for not doing what they are suppose to be doing. The undeniable fact is that the last 6 months have been spent planning and campaigning for administration candidates instead of a concerted effort to study and prepare for the rainy season. Metro Manila Mayors are also very guilty of making the MMDA their scapegoat and the DILG simply turn a blind eye. 

It is the Mayor’s responsibility to deal with or at least manage the impact of squatters in their cities and towns. It is their responsibility to manage and insure that roads are accessible and passable. They are the ones who hire personnel for disaster brigades and traffic management. But they are doing a very poor job of it. But are they actually accountable to anyone? Is there anybody in this current Aquino administration who actually calls in the Mayors collectively or individually to tell them just how lousy they are at running their towns or cities?

Several weeks ago, the President reportedly called the MMDA Chairman to get an update on why the traffic was so bad. The President either was never informed or was simply clueless that the MMDA Chairman was abroad attending a conference. That should qualify as a “No Big” deal since in a well-managed organization there should be a second, third or fourth person in command. That the President had to call the MMDA Chairman is already indicative of a bad situation and a poor organization.

Going back to the claims of the MMDA that bad or criminal elements intentionally clog storm drains, the story reminds of how the police always manage to raid and arrests prostitutes but never pimps and Mama-sans or brothel owners. If the MMDA know about the hooligans covering storm drains, how come they haven’t arrested and presented them to media?

Simply put, we the people have reached a point where we are fed up with excuses and explanations. What we want are actions and results from the Executive department particularly from the Office of the President and the DILG. Like the ad says: “Just do it!”

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If the PNP NCRPO Chief can spare some time, I would like to request his attention concerning muggings, gangs of pickpockets who now control and sow fear upon commuters who use the Commonwealth– Ever–Don Antonio intersection and pedestrian crossing, as well as the foot bridge and loading/unloading area at the Sandigan Ng Bayan building.

So many commuters and students have been victimized in the area and a number of them have been mugged by groups of 4 to 10 people who press-in shout at the victim while someone takes their wallets and cellphones.

According to several complainants, the very place they get mugged is also the place where the expensive cellphones are openly sold by vendors. If the NBI or the PNP can swoop on stores and charge them for selling undocumented car parts in Banawe St., why can’t the same units raid the vendors at the Sandigan bridge and near Ever to track them for stolen goods or undocumented products. Is it because ordinary citizens are the victims and not high priced lawyers and corporations with a “budget”?

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