‘Deliver us from evil’

Once Congress goes back in session, some of our legislators may want to look into adding privileges for senior citizens and persons with disability particularly for parking fees. I have heard many complaints about the extremely high prices that parking lots and malls charge and don’t give the 20 percent senior citizen discount. There is also a serious need to have one law that applies to all that would provide an exemption for any vehicle being driven or used for a senior citizen on board.

Several years before her death, my mother Marita regularly needed to go for medical check up or testing and one major inconvenience for her was not to be able to use her car to fit into the doctor’s schedule. Other senior citizens have shared the same lament that those who have limited mobility because of age and are further restricted from travel because their vehicle is “coding.” What adds insult to injury is that we don’t have one law that officially exempts vehicles from “coding” if it is driven by a senior citizen or is used to service a senior citizen or PWD. Some government officials say there is no exemption but they give consideration. If it is worth giving consideration, then it is worth exempting. Period. If an official PWD sticker allows a car to park in a dedicated lane, we could simply provide stickers for senior citizens’ vehicles to indicate they are exempted from coding. If you are not convinced in the merit of the proposal, try hanging out with senior citizens who only have one car, or better yet sit on a wheelchair for a week and see what it’s like to commute!

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“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Yes, that part of the Lord’s Prayer needs special mention nowadays especially with all the talk of “NO-EL” or no elections and term extensions. However sincere or insincere the proponents of such ideas may be, there is no convincing the general public that “NO-EL” is in the public’s interest. If numerous Senators are opposed to the idea that alone should tell us that “NO-EL” is a bad idea and will only benefit those who stand to lose in the next election.

While “NO-EL” may be high profile and controversial, it is not one of my major worries because it is clear that many powerful sectors will oppose the idea. On the other hand, hardly anybody has noticed the entry of organizational termites in regulatory government agencies that deal with permits, licenses, etc. and where simple delay to malicious Red Tape can be costly for their customers and where cash flow is a hard to resist temptation. It is only ten months away from the next election and while we all focus on opposing “NO-EL,” certain politicians and groups in power have launched Oplan Fund Raising wherein they have inserted, appointed or replaced or attempted to replace high level officials particularly regional directors with the intent of having “collection agents” and fund raisers within those agencies.

This same thing happened in the previous administration where seven regional directors of the LTO were replaced and it did not take long for word to get around that the magnificent seven were actively campaigning for specific candidates and were trying to meet a “quota” for campaign funds. In spite of the anti-corruption campaign of Secretary Art Tugade to go after scalawags in the DOTR, it seems that he is powerless to block or fight off political dictates or pressures to replace his competent people with termites and collection agents posted by politicians. Almost every month Tugade’s people send me press releases on arrests and suspensions meted out on corrupt agency personnel, but, as fast as Tugade takes them out, one political or religious appointee comes in through the door “asking” to be given a specific job and position that is already occupied. One recent appointment in the Visayas has turned out be so disastrous that readers have sent us emails on the breakdown of services and blatant corruption.

So while we are fighting off the acoustic war versus “NO-EL” the anay or termites have penetrated our defenses and have started to rob agencies blind. It’s quite strategic really; if you can’t stay in office for free then you might as well make the government and taxpayers pay for your campaign! I just hope our readers within the regulatory agencies will be courageous enough to let us know of “sudden” and inexplicable appointments particularly in positions where a person has direct contact, power and engagement with businesses and commercial transactions. Just let me know who got appointed, who appointed them, and if they’re collection agents or campaign managers!

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Commuters who have been driving through C5 have noticed the new ramp being built from C5 crossing over the SLEX and presumably toward Paranaque. This of course is a very welcome development for motorists who want more and more alternative routes particularly for those going to and from Makati.

Our friend Atty. Jimmy Policarpio suggests that the DPWH or even Malacañang should convince or incentivize the owner/operators of the Skyway to construct an OFF Ramp from Skyway to C5 because not all motorists who prefer using the Skyway are bound for the Makati Business District or EDSA. Having an off ramp at C5 would make it more attractive for drivers who don’t need to go to EDSA or Makati and could instead get off C5 and this would certainly reduce the daily volume of traffic in Magallanes. I don’t know if there are plans to put an ON Ramp from C5 to Skyway but that too would be a blessing for many people who want to get on the Skyway without having to crawl through the traffic jams at the Magallanes area.

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