Use those video cameras vs. traffic violators

When I learned the news that extortion raps were being filed against former Department of Justice (DoJ) Chief Hernando "Nani" Perez, I said to myself that this finally puts an end to those rumors way back in 2002 that somehow died down when Perez stepped down from the DoJ. The extortion case stemmed from the US$ 2 million bribery complaint filed against him by former Manila Congressman Mark Jimenez. What is really remarkable here is that, the recommendation to file the case against Nani came from Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez who was once his Undersecretary in the DoJ.

Aside from Nani Perez, the respondents included his wife Rosario, his brother-in-law Ramon Arceo and friend Ernesto Escaler. From the news reports, the reason for the filing of this case was due to the paper trail that the US$ 2 million allegedly paid by Mark Jimenez a.k.a. Mario Crespo left behind. Of course everyone also wants to know how Mr. Mark Jimenez got US$ 2million in the first place, but that's another tale.

Nani's case promises to be the celebrated criminal case (next to the Erap plunder case) for the Year 2007. With the coming elections I'm sure nice and juicy tidbits from this case would become political fodder for the opposition. I still can't forget how then Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson tried to expose Nani Perez as the "Million Dollar" man way back in November of 2002. But with this criminal case and the paper trail fully exposed I don't know if it would be wise for the opposition to still use this case in the coming elections simply because Nani is no longer with the government. Hitting on him might just be waste of effort and saliva.

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We wrote yesterday about the plunder case filed through the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas by Mr. Cris Saavedra against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials on the video camera deal that he failed to win. Knowing how slow the wheels of justice turns, we can expect this case to be in the courts for many, many years.

I understand that these 40 or so video cameras were installed in strategic places along the major thoroughfares in Metro Cebu as a higher level security check on the ever present terror threat for the ASEAN Summit. I supposed it can also be used for the ever rising criminality problems. I have always been an advocate in using high technology in fighting crime because we are a nation who lives on a culture of shame rather than a culture of guilt. Meaning, the majority of Filipinos violate laws, especially traffic laws (helloo! If you didn't know, violating traffic laws is a criminal act!) when there is no policeman around.

My best example on this are the usual erring jeepney or taxi drivers who run the red lights at night because they know that CITOM or Tedman personnel are off duty. In Western countries, they live on a culture of guilt where its educated citizenry know too well that running a red light endangers other motorists and could cause the untimely deaths of the motorist and its passengers who are given the go signal. But with no policemen to stop or apprehend our erring drivers, this is a nightly occurrence in Metro Cebu. We can only hope and pray for the day that all this will become history.

A long time ago, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) installed traffic cameras in strategic areas of Metro Manila so their traffic managers would know where the bad traffic is and how to decongest those bad ones. But while those cameras (they're still a bit antiquated since they are using still cameras compared to our use of video cameras) have been put to good use, MMDA really hasn't gotten to the point of using them against erring traffic violators, which is the practice now in many western countries, specifically in London in the United Kingdom.

For the nth time, we ought to use high technology to the hilt in order to bring about traffic discipline in our country. I suggest that we use those video cameras to apprehend erring traffic violators. But while we are poised to make this plan come true, all this is nothing until and unless the Cebu City Council or even Congress enacts stringent traffic laws against recidivists, those erring motorists who violate traffic laws almost everyday and are merely willing to pay the penalties imposed on them.

When Congress finally gets its act together, only then can we see the Philippines join the Western nations and I guess most of our ASEAN neighbors in having orderly traffic throughout the country. Meanwhile, I look at those 40 video cameras to be a deterrent to our rising criminality. At least we know that we are now using high-tech machines to help fight crime.

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