Wrong argument

What we need is law enforcement not arguments.

There is now a growing debate over gun control after 8 people were shot and at least half of them killed in Kawit, Cavite. That came after a “stray” bullet killed a young girl during the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

As expected, the arguments have circled around guns and gun control. All this talk, in my mind is pointless because none of them want to tackle law and order at the neighborhood level. Consider these common elements that surround us:

A bar or restaurant needs a liquor license, a licensed bar tender and assume legal responsibility for any damage or injury that can be attributed to their business.  A sari-sari store or convenience store does not. They can sell as much as they want and people can eat and drink right in front of the store. We have laws that prohibit drinking in public, alarm and scandal, and we used to have laws on disturbing the peace but barangay officials do not enforce such laws with extreme prejudice. They are more interested in fees from permits and licenses.

When a government official, or neighborhood tough guy causes alarm or scandal, he is pacified given coffee and sent home. He is not handcuffed, thrown in a squad car, booked and made to sleep in jail for at least overnight. So after scaring or threatening the neighborhood, all that the bastard gets is a hangover! Troublemakers are advised to reconcile with complainants. Should we start telling rape victims to marry their rapists as well?

In other countries, you can file a report and the police are not required to tell who complained. Here the police or tanods require the complainant to face the troublemaker and reconcile. In the end, people wanting to avoid further confrontations simply try to ignore or avoid the troublemakers. No complainant – no problem, until 8 people are shot.

I really appreciate the “Tough Love” policy of General Leonardo Espina of the PNP-NCRPO and I would encourage him to spread his magic in terms of practicing Extreme Prejudice against neighborhood trouble makers as well as cops who hibernate inside air-conditioned rooms or police cars.

Get tough on drinking in public and stores that encourage them, bars and videokes that disturb the neighborhood, and drunken behavior in public. Especially get tough on people publicly displaying their weapons! That will send the message that no one is above the law, even in his or her own barangay.

The truth of the matter is we already have a breakdown in law and order. This happens because the law is not enforced, as it should be at the barangay level or the national level because we don’t have enough real law enforcers.

Barangay Tanods are not police officers. Traffic enforcers are not police officers. Security guards are not police officers. They may have some limited police powers but they are not police officers. We need real Police Officers and we need lots of them.  If so, why are our Congressmen and Senators not forcing the issue?

Is it because the Security Agency business is a multi-billion pesos business where a number of them are either owners or partners? Is that why they can’t speak the truth and are forever silent? Shame on you!

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Because we are generally law abiding, many of us simply assume that local government officials have the right to convert public roads into “pay-parking” lanes. But don’t we pay taxes so government can build roads, so cars and people can move on them. As vehicle owners, we pay “Road users” tax for the maintenance and expansion of these roads. So why are local governments being allowed to take over roads, turn them into paid parking?

One particular area where this is done to the inconvenience of motorists is on Hillcrest road coming from Ultra going to Shaw Boulevard/C-5. The local officials turned one of two lanes into paid parking, allowed eateries to be constructed in the area and now, taxi drivers even use a narrow curb to the Caltex station as their parking and eating area. So instead of having better flow as a result of road widening, the government simply provided commercial parking space for the local government to profit from while causing traffic.

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As I already mentioned, the MMDA strategy of enforcing a modified traffic ban was very effective in reducing gridlock during Christmas. That would be the second time that the MMDA solution has worked. The interesting thing I noticed was that truck owners and operators never once complained or cursed the MMDA for making them operate after 10 p.m.

The guy who delivers salt water to many enthusiasts I know, took it all in stride, while drivers who often go to Lipa were actually happy to get out early and get more done. At the end of the day, it turns out that driving later in the evening resulted in less down time in traffic, less congestion on the road and faster turn around for deliveries. Working in the evenings also meant cooler weathers and fewer crocodiles also known as Kotong Cops or the Sampaguita boys.

Let’s all congratulate, the MMDA and lets hope that they can implement the solution permanently.  I personally think that it would also create a “night economy” and added employment. May the force be with you!

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Just a suggestion to both NLEX and SLEX authorities, please train your patrol cars not to open their “flashers” or Blinkers unless in an emergency or necessary. I’ve noticed so many times how traffic slows down because drivers anticipate an accident or a problem ahead only to find a patrol car slowly cruising the emergency lane. This is a traffic causing practice that also undermines or diminishes the significance of flashing lights as a sign to be cautious.