Why the "Asphalt Storm"?

Out of the solemn days of Lent, we heard of the refreshing news that the city government of Cebu has allocated a huge sum of money for its use in conducting “asphalt storm”. This term, actually a poor corruption of “Operation Desert Storm” - that massive and highly technological military expedition undertaken by a coalition of forces out to liberate Kuwait from the intruding Iraqi army - is supposed to mean that the city will soon pave the streets with asphalt in some massive scale comparable to the Desert Storm.

We are a grateful lot. So, let us thank our city administration for announcing to the whole world that it is finally thinking of this road repair project. In so doing, it has committed to fulfill, at some future time, its obligation of providing us, its citizenry, with good roads. Never mind if we have long suffered traveling on bad roads. Never mind if for many years our city officials did not see how dilapidated streets had become. What is important is that we will, in the foreseeable future time, have smoother streets.

Of course, it does not escape us that election is fast approaching and this project is but one of the political tools available to the administration. Barely 13 months more and we shall go to the polls to elect our leaders. I am sure that our elected leaders have factored in this coming electoral contest. It is not coincidental that this kind of effort should be implemented during the election period. What is expected to happen is that, by the time the city is ready to implement its road repair program (on a promised massive scale), candidates will be out to court for our votes and the city administration will ride high on this project.

I remember that at some distant past, we also had this label “asphalt storm” appended to the asphalting of our roads. It also occurred during election time to the worst desecration of an otherwise honorable theory banning public works on election period. Candidates of the ruling BOPK were conspicuous at the site of road repairs where they made sure men from the media were likewise around. Photographs and video footages were taken of them pretending (pretending because what did they know about asphalting that our engineers never learned?) to supervise the pouring of asphalt. To show further that the administration was earnest in the effort, work crew toiled deep into the night.

This is a cheap political gimmick more than anything else. The candidates from the city administration are just exploiting their positions to the hilt. They will insult us with a bare-faced lie of an announcement addressed to us, the voters, that they care so much that they think of repairing our roads. And, like in times past, we shall be ready to reward the “Asphalt Stormers” (is there such a thing?) with our precious votes. Our forgetful nature will not allow us to remember that they, the “Asphalt Stormers”, have failed, for a much longer time, to do their duty of giving us roads comfortable to travel on.

In any case, to me, there is a more diabolical plot underlying this future project. This announcement of “Asphalt Storm” is more designed as a diversionary tactic for which purpose city officials made it so big an issue as to merit headline. Take note that for one, the amount allocated for the purchase of heavy equipment for use in this project is not peanuts. The huge outlay is bound to catch our attention. It will generate much discussion. For another, examine the timing of this project. It is done while the city is on the receiving end of the diatribes of Congressman Pablo John Garcia. City official hopes that in the heat of public debate on whether the “Asphalt Storm” is needful and reasonable, we listen less and less to the criticisms against the deal that our city entered into with the Filinvest Land Inc. Smart!

* * *

Email: [email protected]