Does the President know

Does President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo know that she has become the latest “excuse” why floodwaters have not gone down in the disaster areas?

Unlike the usual “blame it on PGMA” tactics of the opposition, there is now an “explanation” as to why the floodwaters have not receded. The story being told by a growing number of self-styled experts is that certain floodgates such as the Napindan channel is not being opened because this would send all the water down the Pasig River which in turn would flood Malacañang Palace.

I honestly don’t know the factual engineering behind the system, but everybody has certainly come up with at least one solution most of which involves sending water down the Pasig River. One Mayor has blamed the hundreds of barges that are docked along the Pasig River, which prevents waterways authorities from releasing the floodwaters because this would send the barges crashing down the waterway and may ram bridges and building. Yesterday, a barge literally “barged” into a house in the Sta. Ana district along the Pasig River.

There may be no point in flooding the “Malacañang District” by completely opening the floodgates, but if there is any truth to the matter, there is also no justification in prolonging the suffering of people in Taguig, Muntinlupa, Pasig, Cainta and Pateros.

GM Manda, Secretary Bayani Fernando and whoever is in charge should clarify this story that is fast spreading.

At the same time Laguna Lake Authority GM Manda should stop his radio lecture series on why we should “fix” the lake. Just do your work. Clear the lake of the fishponds or clear out of your office.

DENR Secretary Lito Atienza should likewise stop picking a fight and acting like a boxer at a pre-fight promotion. Threatening to sue Manda or whoever on radio does not help. To start with the good Secretary should start a thorough investigation on the multiple violations committed by builders and property developers as well as municipal authorities. If you can’t fix the mess at the very least jail the people who authorized the mess!

Given this unique opportunity, Secretary Ronnie Puno should put his political ambitions on hold and now push for a law or an executive order that require each and every resident that is born, resides or moves into a barangay to be registered and to have an honest to goodness barangay ID.

One problem encountered in the distribution of relief goods all over the country was identifying whom the real residents and victims were. Now that distribution is being done at barangay sites, it will be very useful in future operations if residents had official IDs. In our area alone, the barangay is regularly “invaded” by residents of the barangay next door.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago was very productive with bills that are certainly going to help in future disasters; one law she may want to pass is a law that would prevent the sale of alcohol 24 hours before the arrival of a typhoon or during a state of calamity in areas affected.

Half of the troublemakers during relief operations were drunks who either tried to cut in the line or heckled and cursed relief workers. We received several reports and personally experienced such incidents in Pasig and in Taguig. People who have nothing better to do should be made to help.

Perhaps Tita Miriam can also pass a law that would require able bodied men to serve in every barangay as security, rescue and clean up brigade. This way, the rescue, relief and clean up can be done faster with numbers instead of the kanya-kanya system.

Secretary Peter Favila, Secretary Larry Mendoza and the BIR should now move to collect all available information through media and through LGUs regarding towing companies, auto repair shops and funeral parlors to study what these companies charged from their customers. This will then provide a database to determine who are illegally operating, who took advantage in prices and who are not registered and don’t pay for permits and taxes to the BIR. Many tow truck operators don’t even have legitimate receipts.

Secretary Puno can also use the experience to push for the creation of city morgues and do away with the existing practice of LGUs that have “suki” among funeral parlors who in turn slap grieving relatives with exorbitant charges for services they did not authorize! Several funeral parlors charged between 6 to 10 thousand pesos for picking up a body and hosing it down with water. If LGUs are made responsible for taking care of the problem, the body snatchers can’t stiff the LGUs for a lot of money.

Instead of doing their job quietly, Secretary Puno and the Police under PNP Chief Jess Verzosa should also look after all the pedestrian bridges all over Metro Manila. Contrary to popular belief, people are not too lazy to climb the stairs just to cross EDSA or C5. They are simply not stupid enough to use pedestrian bridges and become victims of mugging and robbery.

Instead of placing their spy cameras in front of La Salle Greenhills or St. Scholastica, the PNP should install the cameras above the pedestrian bridges at Loyola, Guadalupe, Robinson’s Galleria, C5 etc. during the typhoon.

Four knife-wielding individuals on the Loyola Guadalupe Bridge attacked one of our Pastors, and 3 students separately between morning and nighttime. The repeated attacks in one day showed that the criminals live in the area and had protection. So who’s protecting these thugs?

Mayor Binay the Police commander in the area needs to be kicked out.