Willie Nepomuceno not funny

Political impersonator and comedian Willie Nepomuceno has stepped out of political correctness to call down the President’s shortcomings in addressing our “Wild Wild West” atmosphere in Metro Manila. This time however, he is not funny and finds nothing amusing with the fact that his grandson was gunned down violently in a case of mistaken identity.

Although Willie Nep was one of those who took to the streets against Martial Law and once in a while would inject political satire or commentary into his monologues, Willie Nepomuceno cannot be branded or labeled as part of “the cottage industry that is highly critical of President Noynoy Aquino and his administration.” In the last few days, Willie Nep has simply repeated and expressed what many citizens have expressed about the breakdown of law and order in the country, particularly in Metro Manila. In his case, Willie Nep now knows what it’s like to be a victim or a victim’s relative because not even his celebrity status spared him from the trauma of gun related violence.

Today, we hear or read more and more cases of police officers being gunned down within their neighborhoods, businesswomen and professionally employed women are being shot intentionally or mistakenly by assassins riding in tandem. Last New Year’s Eve you could have sang “It’s Raining Slugs” instead of “men” and you would have been singing truthfully as so many hospitals reported people having been killed by “stray bullets”. At least four police officers were reportedly arrested for illegal discharge of their weapons, which once again justifies the otherwise ridiculous policy of “taping” service firearms before the New Year’s Eve.

If things happen for a reason, then the mistaken identity shooting of his grandson has made Willie Nep the face and voice to call attention to the President and his government’s failure to deal with lawlessness, incompetence and the ridiculous logic of law enforcement officials. P-Noy needs to do something because in the President’s own words: “Damay damay na tayong lahat dito.”

*      *      *

Over the holidays, many people I spoke with pointed out how so many residential areas all over Metro Manila have become highly commercialized. What used to be out of the way quiet villages have turned into foodie destinations or “mixed-use” commercial-residential developments; even once idyllic places such as the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, or middle class enclaves in many different cities in Metro Manila.

This is made worse by the lack of presence and involvement of local officials, particularly Barangay captains and police officers which ultimately contribute to domestic disturbances such as petty criminality, physical altercations, and degenerating quality of life in the many urban settings. Behind all of this is the fact that there is no regular assessment or accountability of local officials to any authority. They are in effect kings and kingdoms on their own.

In their ignorance, many people assumed that the “commercialization” of their neighborhoods would be great because it would increase their real estate value as well as upgrade the face of the place while giving them more choices in terms of shops, food places and lifestyle service providers. But this only happen under enlightened and progressive local leaderships. In most cases, the leaders are traditional politicians or trapos who chose to prioritize collection over investment.

Sadly, many people who used to support the idea of “progress” or commercialization are now regretting it. To start with, commercialization connotes that if real estate prices go up because of shops and developers coming in, it also means that real estate taxes go up. Ordinary residents now have to pay those new and higher tax rates that become an added burden particularly for retirees, government employees, or plain office workers. The developers and business owners don’t worry about this because they have those taxes incorporated into their operating and profit margins.

Ordinary citizens and residents may benefit from added consumer choices, but they must now compete for road space, parking space, be exposed to all elements of society from snooty card swiping customers to car swiping carnappers now looking for victims in their commercialized communities. Hold-ups and robberies have become part of their reality. It also means that the once affordable prices for consumer products will be going up. I suppose many people have come to realize that, in general, many Barangays and officials are benefitting financially from such commercialization. However many are also asking what other benefits our communities and residents are getting in exchange for them opening up their neighborhoods: giving up much of their peace and quiet, and exposing them to conflict or criminality?

It would be nice if barangays reinvested the money for better selected, better trained, better equipped, and better paid Barangay tanods. It would be good if Barangays reinvested earnings from commercialization on efficient transport and communications for security personnel as well as numerous outposts. It would be great if such profits were reinvested on community wide education on road courtesy, parking management or controlling vehicle air and noise pollution as well as educating residents about the proper use of car horns.

Instead, people are left to their own devices to hire a “security force” powered by clubs and flashlights, who use hollow blocks or monobloc chairs to mark parts of the road as “reserved parking” for customers! In return residents lay claim to chunks of the road or take up one lane all for themselves. Ignorant tricycle drivers install power mufflers believing they’re more efficient while robbing the neighborhood of peace and quiet (particularly in Pasig City). While all of these are happening all day and all night, many LGU officials sit in their air conditioned cars or offices most of the day and sleep in their air conditioned bedrooms all night, while the poorer lot of us stuff our ears with cotton or ear plugs!

The wise official who sees the potential public support and windfall PR pogi points in dealing with these domestic disturbance and absence of Barangay management is the man who will have a great future in politics.

*      *      *

Email: [email protected]