What violations do most Filipinos get away with more often than not?

Leonard Kristian Gelacio, Cauayan City: Traffic violations, I think, are the most common. We commit it either willfully or unknowingly. Most Filipinos lack discipline.

Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City: Filipinos tend to get away with major offenses, rather than minor violations. Example: the bigger the amount you plunder, the more respect you will tend to gain.

Compulsive traffic violators

Dennis Montealto, Mnadaluyong City: It would have to be traffic violations.

Ric Vergara, Calamba: Traffic violation is our favorite this makes Filipinos the most reckless drivers in the world.

Rey Onate, Palayan City: Traffic violations at ang pagsingit sa pila.

June Deoferio, Cavite City: Hit-and-run is the violation that Filipinos get away with most often.

Louella Brown, Baguio City: The violations Filipinos get away with, more often than not, are those of traffic rules.

Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: It’s very obvious that the answer would be traffic violations, dahil nalalagyan kahit magkano, and the petty crimes remain rampant, so the impunity continues.

Ignacio Anacta, Metro Manila: Jaywalking and many other forms of traffic violations top the list.

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: We tend to violate traffic laws, rules and regulations. Petty crimes are also committed daily.

William Gonzaga, Marikina City: It’s simple traffic violations like jaywalking and loading/unloading at forbidden spots as well as dumping of garbage anywhere. The sheer number of violators renders it highly difficult for law enforcers to make the necessary arrests.

Dumbocracy

Dr Francis Regalado, Manila: Filipinos are guilty of always violating their conscience whenever they vote for the same dumb, pathetic, cunning and corrupt government officials. These officials do not move a muscle to implement the law, not even giving the people what they need through reforms and welfare. The people we choose make our lives what it is now insolent, ghastly, Third World.

Stealing people’s money

Tony Gomez, Parañaque City: Plunder. Many have violated this law but only one has been made to suffer for it.

Evading taxes and debt collectors

Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: Most rich Filipinos typically try to evade taxes. Businessmen, landowners, and politicians dishonestly declare their statement of assets and liabilities to evade taxes. Most wise businessmen declare their organizations as non-profit and charitable. Second, most Filipinos run away from paying their debts during paydays.

Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte: Filing misdeclared statement of assets and liabilities is common. Only the big fish, especially from the opposition, are fully investigated.

Germi Sison Cabanatuan City: Getting cited for a traffic violation is the most common, because traffic enforcers only mean to extort bribe money. Next is cheating or non-payment of the right income tax, through the help of BIR people, who themselves are supposed to exact the right tax for the government. Bars, nightclubs and entertainment houses have no business permits because dirty government agents protect them.

I could go on and on

Ishmael Calata, Parañaque City: For the purpose of answering this question, permit me to put violations in two categories: First category includes the small but most frequent and visible violations, and second are the big violations that tell on the economic health of the nation. As for the first, we see and we know these are done every day, and they come in the form of traffic violations, jaywalking, and desecration of the environment in the form of littering on the streets, and even peeing on street sides. Petty bribery in some government offices falls under this category, but it may graduate to the second category. We may also include here unchecked dynamite fishing by small-time overnight fishermen who destroy fish fries and corals. As for the second, I dare to state these are the big-time violations where big money is involved for protection. They include: smuggling of even common commodities, such as rice, oil and sugar; illegal logging by big-time operators, who have the means to pay their way out. Oh, I could go and on!

Illegal possession

Nestor Buñag, Mandaluyong City: It’s the illegal possession of firearms and deadly weapons, robbery, hold-up, snatching, conning, bribery.

Common knowledge

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: You and I being true Filipinos, we know these things by heart, don’t we? Guilty feelings? I honestly doubt it.

Starting ‘em young

Deo Durante, Camarines Sur: House rules are one. Though parents tell their children to go home early, youngsters rarely follow, so that when they grow old, being lawbreakers is already in their blood. On the road, we are unmindful the road signs. This is why we see road mishaps happening quite often.

Elmo Cruz, Manila: From childhood, youngsters are exposed to how their elders get away after violating the rules they should be following. As these youngsters grow up, they learn how to get away from simple to serious violations of the law, until such trait becomes a way of life. As adult Filipinos, let us ask ourselves why do we get away from our penalties or punishment when it is better to face the truth and pay the consequences to have a clear conscience?

Being dishonest

Mars Mejilla, Metro Manila: Most Filipinos would want to get away with any violation if they could. At work, extended lunch and coffee breaks are very common, both in government and private offices.

Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: Cheating on their income tax returns, traffic violations, cheating on their spouses, and littering.

Rumor mongering

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: Rumor mongering. From barbershops, barangay halls, up to the halls of Congress and practically all government and private offices, including peryahan up to concert venues, etc. are places where chizmozos and chizmozas peddle their trade. When their wares get rough, they can always get away from responsibility by becoming denial queens and kings.

Elizabeth Oximer, Negros Occidental: Human rights, tsismis, na pinanggagalingan ng away.

Chaos in the streets

Diony Yap, Bacolod City: Smoking in public utility jeeps and throwing lighted cigarettes on the streets.

Mica Mae Galacgac, Ilocos Sur: Improper waste disposal and breaking traffic laws are the most common.

Felix Ramento, USA: Littering and jaywalking. Because of our habit of ignoring seemingly simple laws against these misdemeanors, we will never improve our image as a wretched nation because of the filthiness of our environment and the daily chaos in our streets.

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: Jeepney drivers loading and unloading passengers in the middle of busy streets, cellphone snatching, public transport vehicles’ smoke-belching, littering, jaywalking, men peeing on walls, spitting, among others.

Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: Urinating almost anywhere, traffic violations, and improper disposal of garbage.

Instill discipline on the road

Manny Cordeta, Marikina City: Traffic violations top the list. If it were a contest, said infraction must be the runaway winner. I’ve been operating a motor vehicle for four decades. This input of mine, in conjunction with other similar views, hopefully, would serve as an eye-opener to concerned agencies and traffic enforcers that it’s time to wake up. The wake-up call could simply mean adding more teeth to traffic laws, according a severe penalty if necessary. The move should result in a dramatic dip in the spate of tragic vehicular mishaps lately.

Ruel Bautista, Laguna: Because of lax implementation of road traffic rules, they are usually and regularly violated, except only when an accident ensues.

Lucas Banzon Madamba, Laguna: Traffic and road violations (such as parking, loading, unloading at the wrong places, inappropriate and incorrect overtaking, going over the speed limit sign in some parts of the country, etc.) are some of the violations most Filipinos get away with. Authorities must impose fines on those who violate and who do not follow traffic and road rules and regulations, in order to instill discipline among drivers. Closed-circuit television cameras and traffic control television monitors are needed to monitor the passage of vehicles operating in and around the country.

Short arm of the law

Armando Tavera, Las Piñas City: We get away with all kinds of violations, from traffic to human rights violations. Our laws are too hollow to penalize these violators.

Most undisciplined

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: Living up to our reputation as one of the most undisciplined nations, Filipinos tend to violate every conceivable law, as long as they don’t get caught. Or if caught, they would resort to the age-old SOP of bribing their way out. With our corrupt system, the possibility of a want of violations by the Filipinos is limitless. Unmistakably, Filipinos are very fond of violating traffic rules and regulations. Their usual retort: Wala namang pulis.

J.R. Mondonedo Jr., Parañaque City: We violate practically just about everything. Remember, Pinoys are the most undisciplined people in the world, but only in their own country. The top 5 violations most Pinoys commit and get away with are: 5. Urinating wherever, they are like dogs; 4. Spitting everywhere and blowing their noses without using a handkerchief or tissue in public; 3. Traffic violations from DUI, driving without seatbelts, beating the red light, illegal parking, driving against the flow of traffic; 2. Having mistresses and getting away with it because of a martyr wife; and the number 1 is (drum roll, please) Stealing money. I mean big money from the government by people in the higher ranks of the government. It all boils down to corruption.

Bribing our way out

Elpidio Que, Vigan: Bribery is the violation most Pinoys get away with more often than not. It is the norm in our corruptdom. It is practiced from the small effort of facilitating an application for a driver’s license or whatever requirement of government from the citizens up to making concerned government authorities blind on massive smuggling, tax evasion and illegal numbers gambling.

Ed Gulmatico, Abu Dhabi: Errant jeepney drivers can get away with their gross traffic violations more often than not. In fact, it’s the law-abiding drivers who easily get caught, even for negligible/ excusable violations. It all depends on the necessity of the reprimanding traffic personnel and policemen to extort money. For rich and powerful Filipinos, they can get away with almost anything, including heinous crimes, e.g. mass murder, rape, illegal drugs dealings, etc. And even if convicted and in prison, they still enjoy the life of the free man. Remember the Ampatuans?

Rose Leobrera, Manila: Minor traffic violations, small business permits, oral defamation, and defaulting on credit card payments. On the road, the officer has a soft heart for women drivers, lalo na ‘pag maganda. Just a little lambing, and the lady driver is made to easily get away with her crime. In business, there is always a second chance once caught without a permit. In the use of credit cards, if the cardholder has really no money to pay, no matter the intense squeezing done to get payment, wala rin. The credit card company has no other option except to consider the account a bad debt. However, I am sorry to say, that under Philippine courts, violations are easily solved once money starts talking.

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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