Scan or scam

If you missed the “show” on how billions of pesos was squandered from the Road Users Tax, you will now have a unique opportunity to watch it all over again as an estimated P1.77 billion will soon be spent under a new title: Emergency Jobs Plan of 2010.

The latest “Road Show” version will soon be seen at a barangay near you under the subtitle of “Roadside maintenance program for 2010”. Featuring a cast of thousands and featuring the various scenic highways and roadside barangays, the “Emergency Jobs Plan of 2010” will hire people in their traditional costume of a T-shirt (praising President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) and their trusty bolos, machetes and matches while hacking away at weeds by the roadside.

Undeterred by the investigative prowess of Lady Miriam Defensor Santiago who gave the suspects a slap on the wrist, the producers of the Original road show “R.U.T” (Road Users Tax) have been emboldened to do the sequel following the financial and political success of R.U.T in the 2004 Presidential elections.

It goes without saying that the producers of the sequel believe that it will be a just and politically correct way of distributing the wealth offered up by motorists or vehicle owners who have to drive over ruts. The Road Show is promoted as a mega million peso production and collection timed just before and during the election season, which will certainly make many barangay captains and their constituency very happy.

 According to sources, the sequel will directly compete with Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves for the “Audacity and Sheer Arrogance Award”.

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If you happen to like watching Animal Planet or Discovery channel or if you happen to be a bird lover or tree hugger, chances are you’re familiar with the practice of tagging captured or released wildlife.

Sea turtles are tagged, eagles are tagged, even special quality arowanas now have embedded micro chips to certify that they were legally acquired and in conformance with international treaties on wildlife trade.

This being the case, there is now reason to believe that Philippine motor vehicles have finally become endangered “species”.

For the longest time, motor vehicles in the Philippines have been the subject of much abuse. They are hunted down by corrupt traffic officers, they are restricted and regulated by every town and city who have roving bands of marauders who attack like a pack of wolves using tow trucks and so-called environmental test machines. They have been subjected to every test known to man; the latest being a hose shoved up their behinds to test the density and toxicity of their farts.

If that were not enough, members of Congress imposed a “Road Users Tax”, the title of which forms the acronym: RUT. Even some of the “Creators” of motor vehicles in the Philippines are attempting “ethnic cleansing” by lobbying that only Japanese cars have the right to roam the asphalt Jungle of the Philippines.

They are not even amenable to allowing “imperfect Japanese breeds”, only those brought in by the association should be allowed. And in their idea of a perfect environment, the endangered motor vehicle should have a very short life span.

Now in accordance with international practice, the ultimate game wardens of the motor vehicles known also as the Land Transportation Office have declared that all motor vehicles in the Philippines must be tagged with their latest high tech gear called an RF tag or Radio Frequency tag.

According to the game wardens, the RF tag will contain all available information about any vehicle being scanned by the LTO, which will help them know if a car is stolen, if a bus, taxi or jeepney has legal documents to ferry passengers or is illegal. Just for good measure they are even conducting a thorough public relations campaign so that no one can convincingly accuse them of trying to pull a fast one on the public.

First there is nothing new with the LTO proposal. The only difference is that there is a company called Stradcom behind the deal. Last I heard a member of Congress was getting ready to peel the Stradcom group and the LTO computerization connivance layer by layer. In fact, I felt bad that the new LTO Chief Art Lomibao was going to be burned at the stake over a contract he knew nothing about.

Was this one of the reasons why LTFRB Bert Suansing was even smiling when he was transferred from LTO chief to LTFRB Chief? Whatever the reasons the Congressman who made so many pronouncements against Stradcom suddenly lost his tongue as well as his interest. To avert further hassles the slick guys at Stradcom have obviously solicited the aid of other Congressmen.

What makes the idea ridiculous is that by pushing the RF tagging, the LTO is admitting that everything they are doing right now is simply commercial paperwork aimed at collecting revenues for government.

As for RF tagging being a tool against carnapping, carnapping is a police matter directly related to the failure of the Department of Trade and local government to strictly organize, systematize and regulate the resale of used vehicles, accident vehicles and spare parts.

The problem with the RF tagging is that it is not a solution it is a redundancy or repetition of existing solutions in a different form of technology. What it really is, is a WINDFALL PROFIT that can still be realized by Stradcom just before a new administration comes into power.

The way it is designed, where you pay a lump sum for 10 years use, makes it a windfall profit or cash flow for a company that may suddenly be non-existent if a new administration boots them out.