VP Binay: Face the ombudsman not the Senate
For one brief shining moment, Vice-Pres. Jejomar Binay, fed up with the Senate hounds under Pres. Benigno Aquino III, finally attacked Malacañang saying all those things that we said about the unconstitutionality of the Disbursement Acceleration Program and the Pork Barrel… including how former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was mistreated by the PNoy government. But like what I said… "For one brief shining moment" VP Binay took on the role of a real opposition leader.
But on the same day, he went to Malacañang to genuflect before his Yellow master and since there was no media allowed to the meetings, we can only surmise what went on inside Malacañang. Of course the majority of pundits believed that VP Binay asked PNoy to call off his dogs in the Senate. But in the end, the expose' against VP Binay which began as a politically motivated plan just went out of control. Now even PNoy cannot stop this investigation from happening.
I fully agree that VP Binay should no longer accept the invitation to appear before the Senate "Yellow" Ribbon committee as those senators who are after his neck have political ambitions. What he should be facing is a court of law to answer those allegations hurled against him. Yes, VP Binay, just like Sen. Trillanes, also has his own corrupt multicab transactions. The Office of the Ombudsman should indict them all.
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How do you solve a problem like the habal-habal? This seems to be the dilemma of the Cebu Provincial Board. Well, if PB member Arleigh Sitoy had his way, he would ban habal-habal motorcycles from getting passengers, except for those who are family members of the driver and children between 7 and 10 years old up to the fourth degree of consanguinity. Another exception is when the passenger needs immediate medical attention. But the passenger must show proof.
Mind you, PB member Arleigh Sitoy doesn't even mention if the motorcycle is below 100cc or below 500cc. So big bikers like me cannot even bring along my friends on my motorcycle anymore if he had his way. In you ask me, it is unfortunate that PB member Arleigh Sitoy is still in dreamland. The realities of today is that many people have gotten used to the habal-habal for the simple reason that there are just not enough public utility vehicles plying those routes.
During the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Land Transportation Franchising & Regulatory Board regional director Ahmed Cuizon told us that in Region 7 there are 28,000 PUV's in Region 7 and 75% of that can be found in Metro Cebu. So the basic problem is a serious lack of transportation in areas where jeepneys, buses, and the like do not serve the communities. This is why I believe that PB member Arleigh Sitoy is wasting his time and our tax money discussing something that could never solve the problem.
Mind you, this issue was tackled during my days as chairman of the Cebu City Traffic Operations & Management on what to do with the habal-habals. Now whether we like it or not, they do serve a purpose and a need… necessity is after all the mother of invention. If there was no need for people to go places from their residences, then the habal-habal shouldn't exist at all. But they do exist and this is where the government should find solutions to solve whatever problem exists.
If at all, the biggest violation of a habal-habal is overloading. This is something that the Land Transportation Office should address. Look at an ordinary motorcycle and you will see that aside from the footpeg of the rider, there is only one set of footpegs at the back. Which means, for all intents and purposes, a motorcycle is designed to carry only one passenger. But in this God forsaken 3rd world country, habal-habals even carry more than 7 passengers.
I remember there was a time when I was still working with a motorcycle company, we accompanied a few Italian businessmen who wanted to bring their Vespa scooters and enter the tricycle market. We brought them to Dumaguete and in Naga City in Bicol and when we got back to Cebu… the Italians had to make their report to Milan…saying that tricycles in the Philippines carry more than 7 passengers. Actually they told me that they only reported 7 passengers. But they saw one tricycle that carried even 9 passengers. But my Italian friend told me that no one in Milan would believe their report anyway. So if the Provincial Board cannot solve this problem, then it should tackle other problems that can be solved.
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