Dick Gordon’s answer to motorbike crimes

Motorists and public transport commuters as well as pedestrians are alarmed by the alarmingly great number of accidents caused by many motorcyclists. Reckless motorcycle riders weave in and out of rows of vehicles in the streets as if there were no tomorrow. One can see numbers of them sprawled in the streets after hitting, or being hit, by vehicles due to their carelessness. And poor car and bus drivers who are not the cause of the accidents have to pay for litigation fees and hospitalization, maintenance, etc., of the motorcyclists.

Former  Sen. Richard Gordon is focusing his sights on helping the public address the “alarmingly very high” incidence of street crimes committed with the use of motorcycles. Majority of motorcycle users are law-abiding citizens, he says, but many of them engage in assassinations, robberies and snatchings with the use of their vehicles.

“It is disquieting that 80 percent of street crimes have been committed with the use of motorcycles. But the government and the public need not feel helpless because even without legislation, we can do a lot to help the police apprehend motorcycle-riding street fiends,” said Gordon.

Gordon said his proposed measures would also make things very difficult for motorcycle-riding criminals. Measures which government agencies like the Land Transportation Office can adopt and implement are as follows:

Mandate the use of oversized license plates at the front and back of motorcycles (not just at the back as the current practice) for easier identification.

The printing of the license numbers, also in big and very visible fonts, in the helmets used by all motorcyclists, again to help in their easy identification.

The color-coding of the helmets must correspond either to the general location (e.g., Makati, Manila or Pasig) of the residence of the motorcycle user or the location of the LTO office where he registered the vehicle.

Tasking motorcycle users with the responsibility to immediately report to the authorities the theft of their vehicles because in most cases stolen motorcycles had been used to commit crimes.

Gordon calls for encouraging — through a massive social and traditional media information drive — public vigilance in reporting the movement of suspicious personalities, whether on board motorcycles or other vehicles or those lurking in crime hot spots like dimly-lit streets.

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Wearing his trademark Hawaiian-inspired shirt, former Manila Mayor and Environment Secretary Lito Atienza told participants at last week’s Bulong Pulungan that he is running for Congress under party-list Buhay Hayaang Yumabong (Buhay for short). He is not waging a personal fight as a candidate, but if his party gets the right number of votes, he and two other nominees will get three seats in Congress. He confessed that his heart, soul and mind still belong to the Liberty Party, with whose current leadership he had a falling out.

He was vice-mayor of Manila and ran for mayor when its mayor, Gen. Fred Lim, ran for president. He served as the city’s chief executive altogether for three terms. Meanwhile, his relationship with Lim soured. Now that the current mayor, General Lim again, is seeking reelection, he is supporting the contender, former President Erap Estrada for the mayorship, but not Erap’s teammate for vice, Isko Moreno, but did not explain why.

Lito said Buhay is not just pro-life and against the Reproductive Health Bill. If Buhay makes it and he as its No. 1 nominee sits in Congress next year, he will work for reforms towards creating a more progressive Philippines.

He sees the urgent need to amend the Constitution in order to allow foreigners to own land, transportation and communication facilities. The restrictions on foreign investments make the Philippines the least attractive among Asian countries for foreign investors to invest in. Singapore, he said, does not have what the Philippines has plenty of, like water and forest resources and minerals, but with foreign investments and wise management, Singapore’s economy has frog-leaped many notches above the Philippines.

Lito believes in decentralization, not centralization of police powers. He favors the return to the two-party political system (not the current multi-party system), with distinguishable platforms and which discourages turncoatism. He also expressed electing not national senators, but senators for regions, so sectors can be properly represented.

Lito and his family spend a lot of time of resources (in addition to donations from donors) in maintaining a “Home for the Angels.” Abandoned babies are taken in by the institution (first established by the Atienza family), attended to by a medical staff, fed and nourished, and, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, given out to selected people for adoption.

Two of the babies have been officially adopted by the Atienzas. One was practically deaf, dumb and blind but after ten years, as if by a miracle, he could practically hear, speak and see. A girl who was placed in a shoebox at the couple’s doorstep is now doing well  in college.

Lito’s own son, Kim (the weatherman on Channel 2), has served as Manila councilor for three three-year terms, and another son, Ali, will run for councilor in the 2013 election. He doesn’t think that makes for a political dynasty. He agrees that people have the right to choose their political leaders. But, he added, political dynasties prevent the less-privileged the opportunity to serve in government.

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Many men are too shy to tell their doctor that they have a problem getting or maintaining an erection. That’s understandable, as the common belief — among men and women alike — is that maintaining an erection is the key to satisfaction and happiness.

An “Ideal Sex” survey conducted in 2011 by Harris Interactive Asia — a full-service global market research firm, revealed that eight in ten Filipino men and three-quarters of women ranked erection hardness (EHS) or the ability to maintain an erection as either the “most” or “second most” important element necessary for achieving an “ideal” sexual experience.

According to the survey, for women in particular, there is a strong connection between Erection Hardness Score (EHS) and all aspects of sexual performance, since those whose partners are EHS Grade 4 (the penis has an “ideal harness score”) are significantly more satisfied than their EHS Grade 3 counterparts.

There’s hope for people who are too shy to talk about their “deficiency” as Pfizer Inc. (Philippines) recently launched its latest campaign, dubbed UP4LOVE, that aims to provide men an avenue where they can talk about one of their deepest and darkest fears behind closed doors—Erectile Dysfunction (ED).

The campaign utilizes the power of digital media, via the website www.up4love.com.ph, to allow men to be open, feel safe, and start a dialogue about ED. With Up4Love, men no longer need to hide under their blankets, because with just a click of a button, they may already find helpful articles and reference materials that will enlighten them on the medical dilemma.

“At Pfizer, we recognize the fact that the first step to ensuring you have the best sexual experience is to get these issues out in the open. And that’s what Up4Love is here for — finally get the answers to questions you’ve always wanted to ask,” explained Dr. James Wee, senior medical manager for Pfizer.

However, according to Pfizer, the original Sildenafil (Viagra) could cure erection difficulties. Since it first became available in 1998, Sildenafil has helped more than 35 million men around the world improve their sex lives as most of them who took the drug achieved Grade 4 erections. In the Philippines,  P200-million worth of Sildenafil were sold last year.

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