Defending the people's right to information!

Our good friend, Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas suddenly has taken to task Malacañang saying, "What good is a strong peso if the people don't benefit from it?" Without any doubt, this statement reeks with ulterior motives. I mean, why is it all of the sudden, Sen. Mar is sounding like one who belongs to the opposition? His statement is really some kind of "motherhood statement" which many politicians have used for years. The recent win of the Congress I party in India used it to win back political power, stating that India's rapid economic growth has not helped the poor.

But isn't this exactly what our legislators should be doing, enacting laws that assures the Filipino people that there would be equal opportunities for all? Perhaps it is time for Malacañang to turn the tables against the Senate. How many laws have they enacted in 2005 vis-à-vis the lower house, vis-à-vis their pork barrels? If they were truthful enough, you too would join the bandwagon to change our political system because the Senate has shown gross inefficiency in their work.

In another issue, Sen. Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan criticized the recommendations of the Consultative Commission to revise the freedom of speech clause in the Bill of Rights, saying it is a blatant attempt to trifle with the freedom of expression. Sen. Pangilinan insisted that the Freedom of Speech is "sacrosanct and could be subjected to restriction only when there is a clear and present danger to the state." He added, "For all the negative things we have to say about the Philippines, our freedom to express ourselves is our remaining saving grace and our potent defense against oppression." I fully agree with the Senator's point that "The protection that the freedom of speech clause gives is also a covenant that never again will government curtail the people's right to information."

This year, I will be celebrating my 20 years as a journalist and in all those years as a fighting columnist, I only have one case filed against me by a Golf Developer, who tried to get a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to prevent me from writing about them. You can also say that the TRO issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Ireneo Gako of Branch 5 against Wesy Quisumbing and Talk show host Boy Abunda of "Kontrobersyal" is also a curtailment of the people's right to information. So why are the courts issuing TROs?

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All this news about a "No Traffic Fault Zone" is meaningless if our motorists do not understand the meaning of the road markings and street signs. It gets worse if our traffic enforcers do not also stop traffic violators. All you need to do to find out the cause of traffic congestion along Arch. Reyes Ave. is to get down from your car, walk to the middle of the overpass along Juan Luna Ave. where you have a vantage view of traffic on both sides. You will see that it is caused by motorists, especially taxicabs making an illegal U-turn on a solid yellow line. Of course, illegally parked vehicles also cause traffic congestion.

During my time as Traffic Chairman (and I guess the driving habits of most motorist haven't changed) it was easy to spot a traffic violator. For instance, cars making a U-turn almost always use a signal light. There you go, you've caught one. Same thing with those motorists who park illegally. They think that by putting on the emergency flashing lights, it authorizes them to park illegally. Most motorists believe that by putting on their blinking lights, the traffic enforcers would know that they are allowed to park in that area even if the traffic sign says, "No-Parking Anytime!" So do we need to go into a "No Traffic Fault Zone"? I say there's no need for that because wherever there are traffic signs or road markings that say that motorists are not allowed to drive that way, they should be apprehended anytime!

The problem with this country is that, we live with the reality that our traffic laws, which are designed for a 24-hour, 365 days of enforcement have off-times. What I'm saying is, if a sign indicates "No-Left Turn" that means it is a 24-hour "No-Left Turn" sign, unless the time is specifically written, from 7:00AM to 5:00PM. But the reality in this country is that, almost all motorists violate these signs simply because there are no traffic officers on duty after 5:00PM. Until and unless we fix this problem, that "No Traffic Fault Zone" is going to be useless. Like what we wrote also a week ago, unless and until the Land Transportation Office (LTO) or the various traffic management offices in this country put a stop to recidivism, with a threat to revoke a driver's license, motorists here will violate traffic rules with impunity. If there is anything this country needs, it is to overhaul our antiquated traffic rules and regulations.

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