People, Red Means Stop!

When the light is red, it means stop. It is not a suggestion. It is the law!

Where Signs Are Blatantly Ignored

Along Hemady Street in New Manila, Quezon City, on the side of Robinson's Magnolia, despite signs on almost every post lining the street, motorists insist on parking where they are not supposed to. Everyday and all day, dozens of mall goers choose to park on the street despite the prohibition.

Are they trying to save on the 45 pesos parking fee? Are they just too lazy to look for a parking slot inside the car park? Or do they just get a kick out of getting away with these little misdemeanours?

This blatant disregard for the simplest of laws is quite alarming. If people can't follow in the small things, what more in the bigger things?

Rowdy, Rugby Boys

Young boys sniffing what appears to be solvents, prey on cars and jeeps that stop at the intersection of Tomas Morato and E Rodriguez Avenue in New Manila, Quezon City.They harass the passengers, rudely asking for money. And when they don't get what they want, they hurl insults and even throw stones at the vehicles when the light turns green. And this happens in plain sight of the traffic enforcers who man the intersection. Who are too busy mulcting motorists.

Shame On You, Mr. Barangay Official!

Spotted this service van of Barangay Kristong Hari, Quezon City, with plate number SKE 153, beating the red light at the intersection of Hemady Street and E. Rodriguez Avenue.

Shame on you, Mr. Barangay Official. I assume of course, that the driver was a barangay official on official business because after all, it is the property of the barangay and is not for personal use.

And to think the words "Barangay Service" are emblazoned on the van. Together with a local politician's name which only happens to have B.S. as initials.

BS indeed! The least service you can do to your barangay constituents is follow simple traffic rules!

Signs of the Times

It seems we ignore even the most blatant signs. Is it because we can't read or are we just pathological law breakers?

Bad for Tourism

I joined my daughter on her class field trip to Luneta last Friday, 7 October 2011. I was quite surprised at the number of tourists. There were busloads of students from as far as Bulacan and Laguna, pre schoolers, grade schoolers, high schoolers and even a group of college students. A few foreign tourists were also present, mostly Asians in small groups of ten or so.

The mood was colorful. Kids playfully mimicked the march of the honor guard. The horse carriages and wheeled trains took smiling guests around the park. Vendors vibrantly peddled all sorts of goods, from balloons, to hats to photography services. It was fun, it was festive.

 But there was one big eyesore: The Luneta Park Tourist Police. There were about a dozen of them. And they were all huddled in and around their outpost, chatting, texting, sleeping and even getting a massage!

We were in Luneta for more than 30 minutes. And during the entire time we were there, the tourist police never budged from their comfy corner. Man, what a life these guys have. They seem to be enjoying more than the tourists they're supposed to watch over.

Wasn't it not too long ago that the head of the Luneta Tourist Police was sacked because their outposts were not manned? Well, apparently they learned their lesson for this outpost was certainly manned. By no less than a dozen lazy bums!

This is not good for tourism.

Who he?

I was in Starbucks Tomas Morato this morning enjoying my usual grande cafe mocha when in walked a not so tall yet regal looking man surrounded by at least six burly, baron-clad men, some with bulging clutch bags, a few holding folders.

It was the senator who not too long ago was released from military detention for his coup de etat attempts.

It was not a pleasant sight. Not that the senator was pushing his weight around. He didn't have to. His entourage took care of that. By their sheer size and number.

Was this his security detail? His friends? Or his fellow co-conspirators who were expelled from the military for what they did?

I was never a fan of this senator or of the military group he represented, Though I sympathized with their cause, I never agreed with the way they took the law in their own hands. No matter what, the end does not justify the means.

And as I left the coffee shop I spotted four more security men outside. It looked very much like a war zone.

How ironic. The man who spent so many years under strict guard now moves around with his own phalanx of men.

A World Turned Upside Down

Alas our world has turned topsy turvy. Thanks to the machinations of past powers who still yield considerable influence in the country.

Just a few weeks ago, the ex-president's spokesman, a lawyer by profession, diagnosed and announced that his principal was in "critical condition" and was to stay in isolation in the hospital.

Just yesterday, the lawmaker brother of the former First Gentleman said that his doctors will decide on whether he was going to appear before a Senate committee.

Yes, only in a country long suffering from the greed and lies of the past administration does a doctor decide on legal matters and a lawyer diagnose medical conditions.

So what's next? Do we now let some clergymen run for office or lawmakers decide on moral issues? Oh sorry, that too has long been happening.

Reel or Real?

I witnessed this early this afternoon as I was taking my daughter to school. This was in front of Odds.com Internet cafe on Tomas Morato in Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City. There were at least two video camera crews training their sights on a cordoned off Honda Civic. Several uniformed SOCO men could be seen inspecting a car ala-CSI. At first I thought it was another film shooting. But then I recognized someone who looked like a TV reporter. So was this a real crime scene or was the TV reporter doing a cameo for yet another TV serial?

Tomas Morato and what is referred to as the Scout area in Quezon City is a virtual studio lot of both ABS CBN and GMA 7. A number of soap operas and telenovelas are filmed in the streets, establishments and houses in the area. Thus it's not uncommon to have shootings in the area. 

Just the other day, a police chase was filmed across our building, a five or six hour shoot featuring Robin Padilla and Diether Ocampo. The guns and uniforms used seemed genuine. And except for the two lead stars whom one would never mistake for ordinary PO1s, the extras looked like real cops, moonlighting as bit players.

So was the scene I witnessed today real? Unfortunately, I will probably only know if I watch TV Patrol tonight.

Beware! Shadows Lurk Beyond the Turn

I call them the Hounds of New Manila, these yellow- or sometimes blue-clad traffic personnel from both the MMDA and the Quezon City traffic management group who man E. Rodriguez Avenue  in the New Manila area in Quezon City. They prey on unsuspecting motorists making a left turn from Tomas Morato into E. Rod.

They accost an average of four cars an hour, more during the peak times of 8 to 10 in the morning and 5 to 7 in the afternoon. Almost always the offense cited is "swerving" or changing lanes when making the left turn. Once they have the motorist stopped, the well-rehearsed script ensues.

And if you insist to just be given a ticket they will stall and try to convince you to change your mind.

"Sir, baka mahirapan pa kayo. Matagal ang proceso..." they chant, as if they were even doing you a favor.

In the end, they usually prevail. And end up with at least a hundred pesos per car.

So much for the new administration's vision of a graft-free government. What ever happened to "ang matuwid na daan?"

Not too long after the new MMDA chairman assumed office last year, the following press release went the rounds advising motorists against abusive MMDA officers. Only when we re-read this do we realize that sadly, not much has changed in this office.

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Tools against abusive MMDA officers
Source: MMDA Personnel Officer Antonio Pagulayan

If any of these abuses seem familiar to you, Mr. Antonio Pagulayan (Personnel Officer) has asked that you call either the MMDA hotline (136) or call the METRO BASE at (0920) 938-9861 or (0920) 938-9875 and ask for an Inspectorate.
They should send inspectors to the place where these MMDA officers are extorting, even while you are arguing out of your apprehension.

1. MMDA officers are not allowed to group together in order to apprehend. They are not even allowed to stand together in groups of two or more. The only time they are allowed to work together is for special operations (probably when they apprehend groups of buses for smoke belching)

2. Swerving IS NOT a traffic violation. Moving from one lane to the left or right is not swerving, no matter where or what road. And it is even less of a violation when you do it with a signal. Swerving is defined as shifting two or more lanes very quickly. You can argue your way out of this or call the Metro Base for help.

3. Sadly, using the yellow lane is a traffic violation and will get you a ticket. However, buses are really not allowed to get out of the yellow lane, so if you see selective apprehension of private cars only, you may complain.

4. MMDA has confirmed that your license MAY NOT BE CONFISCATED at a traffic apprehension. The only time they can do so is if you are part of an accident, or it is your third violation and you have not settled your fines yet. They are only allowed to give you a ticket, which you can contest. Pagulayan recommends actually receiving the ticket in some instances, so that you can report the officer who did it.

5. Also, you are free to ask any of these officers for their "mission order" which is written by their supervisor. If they apprehend you for a violation that is not in their mission order for the day, you can report them and they will receive disciplinary action.

How Blatant Can One Get!

Total strangers coming up to you and asking for "pamasko" is nothing new. We get it from our garbage collectors, the village guards, the newspaper boy, even the street children at every intersection on the way to work. Some make an effort to even sing a few lines of a Christmas carol, some do a Wowowee inspired dance, still others just stick their hands out, as if we owe them. None of this is new. We're all used to it. But what totally caught me by surprise this past Christmas season was this note on the change platter given to me by a waiter in Luk Yuen.

 What brazenness! And so instead of giving my customary 15% tip, I took every single centavo of the change. Maybe the waiter should just have been a little more attentive, shown a little more of a spirit of service for his customers to reward him with a bigger tip. Brandishing notes like this will not get him any merry wishes.

Lame Lane!

When the MMDA proudly announced a couple of weeks before Christmas that they were going to open up new Mabuhay or Christmas Lanes to decongest traffic during the Yuletide season, I  was quite skeptical. As I am sure many others were too. I just couldn't imagine where these so called alternatives routes would be. Unless the MMDA was suddenly able to gain public access to the exclusive villages surrounding EDSA and other main thorough fares. Something even the iron-handed Bayani Fernando couldn't do during his reign.

And true enough, as it turned out, there were no new roads. The MMDA simply labelled routes which motorists have long been using as alternatives to EDSA.

Sad. Again the MMDA disappoints.

Dear Mr. Globe,

Is that a cell site on your back? If it is, could you please hang out more often in my neighborhood? I live in Woodside Homes at the end of Hemady Street in New Manila, Quezon City.

You see, ever since Typhoon Ondoy hit our country over a year ago your signal has gone down from a full four bar to a measly one bar at best. And despite repeated calls to customer support, the signal strength has never been restored.

I hope you can accommodate me. I will even have coffee and fully loaded merienda ready for you when you come. Just drop by please.

Dear Mr. Counterfeiter,

Mang gagaya ka lang din, e sana pinagbutihan mo na. Next time, sana tama na ang spelling ha. Just do et!

Akala Ko Hindi na Puede ang "Puede Na?"

In President Aquino's inauguration speech which I personally witnessed last 30 June 2010 in the Luneta, one of the more applauded portions touched on public works.

"Mula ngayon, hindi na puwede ang “puwede na” pagdating sa mga kalye, tulay at gusali dahil magiging responsibilidad ng mga kontratista ang panatilihing nasa mabuting kalagayan ang mga proyekto nila."

"From now on, mediocre work will not be good enough when it comes to roads, bridges, and buildings because we will hold contractors responsible for maintaining their projects in good condition."

I wonder if anyone in the DPWH and the Quezon City local government was listening or even understood just what the president was saying. Or maybe they've simply just refused to follow his orders.

At roughly the same time, around the last week of June 2010, just outside our village in New Manila, Quezon City, work began on a portion of Hemady Street beginning at the corner of E. Rodriguez Ave. The job entailed replacing the asphalt with concrete and as expected took a while to finish.


By the end of August, all that remained to be done was finish the gutters and cover the manholes that of course, were destroyed by the construction. But then the workers disappeared. And never came back. It's as if the contractor was saying, "hey, we were only tasked with putting concrete on the road. We are not responsible for the gutters and manholes. Puede na yan!"

And so it remains. To this day. We have a nice concrete road but gaping and dangerous holes where gutters and manholes used to be.


Ay naku. Puede ba? Hindi yan puede!

Faces Back on Billboards

The PNoy government is barely 100 days old and already a number of local politicians have already defied guidelines imposed by the new administration. Department Order No. 37 of the Department of Public Works and Highways issued last 6 August 2010 orders that "name(s) and/or picture(s) of any personages should not appear in the billboard" of any on-going project being undertaken by the department.

Yes, the projects pictured above may not be under the DPWH. The first stands in front of the San Juan municipal cemetery along Santolan Road while the second is at the end of Tomas Morato on E. Rodriguez Avenue. I can just hear them say that they are not breaking any law since these are not covered by the department order. I can also hear them already claiming that no public funds was used for these billboards. Kapal muks talaga.

Here we go again. Politicians who make excuses by sticking to the letter of the law instead of following the spirit under which the law was made. So sad. When oh when will real change happen? When oh when will our country make an about face? For let's face it, no matter how good intentioned a leader is, we must all do our part in effecting change.

So was this a legit police operation?

I saw this from my 3rd floor office window at the corner of Tomas Morato and Scout Delgado in Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City at around 11:40 am this morning. A man in the front passenger seat of a gray Honda Civic (license plate ZRC 175) jumped out of the car as it stopped because of the traffic. Two men, the driver and another one seated in the back,ran and caught up with the first guy who now tried to hang on to the railings by the road side.

The struggle then turned into a wrestling match as the two tried to pin down the apparent fugitive. The whole drama, watched by dozens of bystanders, lasted between five to eight minutes and only ended when reinforcements in motorcycles arrived with handcuffs. Only then was the fugitive returned to the car and the whole convoy sped off.

Everyone watched in shock. The scene was all too confusing. Who were the good guys? Who was the victim? Were we watching a police arrest? Or was this an attempted kidnapping?

It certainly did not help that no one was in uniform. And that they all looked like goons.

And when it was all over talk on the street was that the man without a shirt was a suspected drug dealer trying to run away from the other men were drug enforcement agents.

We wanted to call the police but didn't know the number. We did call the barangay in the hope that they would call the nearest police station. But as usual, no one showed up until a good thirty minutes after.

Interestingly, the security guards from the two banks nearby did not interfere. In fact both banks went on emergency mode and closed down their facilities. They were suspicious of the whole thing, fearing that it was just a ruse to distract the guards so as to allow accomplices from robbing the banks.

Such is the sad state of peace and order in the country. We now can't tell the criminals from the police.

Noy's Barrage!

We all went. Patty, Gabi and Bela. With Yaya Tem and Paula. Last 6 April 2010. To the corner of Timog and Quezon Boulevard. To make noise for Noy's presidential bid.

We came armed with our own kalderos. And we were prepared to use them all night. But our sandoks soon gave way. It's a good thing someone came with a whole supot of whistles. Yellow whistles at that.

It was fun. And having the kids with us just reinforced our conviction that an Aquino-Roxas administration is what's best for our country's future.

Noy Doll

Of all the campaign paraphernalia going around, this is my hands down favorite. It's Bela's too.

Up, Up and Away!

Why spend a ton of money getting showbiz personalities to endorse your campaign when you can just as easily ride on the popularity of everyone's favorite heroes for practically nothing? Unless of course DC Comics gets a whiff of this apparent breach of copyright.

I wonder what the candidate's slogan is. Truth, Justice and the Quezon City way?

I like the poster so much that I might just vote for the dummy. The one with a cape, that is.