Now we know Davao City Traffic and Transport Management Office (CTTMO) head Ret. P/Col. Dionisio Abude was just possibly taking a respite when in the past few weeks we did not hear or read about him.Instead news from the office that came out in the last two or three weeks had as its sources other officials of the said agency.
With him quoted as the source of the news about the increase in the number of e-trike vehicles apprehended from January to early March we cannot help but heave a sigh of relief that the man we consider as our idol in the practice of community relations work was not elbowed out of service.
Anyhow, what is this report about the spiking cases of apprehension of e-trikes plying both city and national roads despite the ban on the units from plying certain local and national thoroughfares?
If the city cannot regulate the motorists from driving e-trikes in risky roads, maybe through the City Council the city government can find ways to regulate the vehicle’s sale for the time being.
Yes, the local government must have to clearly define the conditions for anyone to acquire e-trikes and the penalty for violating the same conditions. It must also impose stringent requirements for e-trike distributors to have such business in the city.
No, we do not think that regulating the sale of e-trikes is one way of curtailing the freedom of anyone to engage in any enterprise. Anybody has the freedom to do his or her personal endeavor. But government should not also be deprived of its mandate and primary responsibility to make sure that everyone enjoys his or her god-given life without threats of accidents on the roads.
Regulations on e-trike anyone? We cannot just stop hoping for it to come sooner.
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Who was that who said that “Men are created equal’?
From our own experience, and those of many others, the famous adage is perhaps one of the greatest fallacies of all time. Take this, a Chinese businessman having a very Filipino name, was able to get away with his act of virtually blocking a creek that has been for the longest time a natural waterway.
In justifying his anti-poor action the businessman said he is only preventing the water from the creek to flood his area when it overflows due to heavy downpour. True enough, the creek water is prevented from spilling over to the Chinese businessman’s land. But the consequence is that the water goes to the people’s pathway rendering it almost impassable during strong rains.
Farmers residing in the interior portion who are the ones using the pathway claim they have to negotiate some hip to breast-deep water with strong current and so much mad down under just to be able to get to their residences or out into the main village road.
And the Chinese businessman with a very Filipino sounding name? Well, he does not even honor the invitation of the barangay council.
Yes, for now this businessman and several other Chinese like him who are making their high life in the Philippines, their loyalty just in case the Philippines will have an armed confrontation with China, is as already showing.
And then we have politicians who are supposed to deprive themselves of ownership of business and other interests while in active service, are open in their mockery of the rule.
In fact we know of one of them who is amassing wealth and accumulating hectares upon hectares of land; no, not in the politician’s name but in his children’s and one lucky business partner’s.
Of late the politician was able to acquire some 25 hectares of land somewhere north west of the city all in other people’s name with the business partner as the more exposed owner “kuno.”
Now, wher does the “All men are created equal” saying fits in here in this particular case.
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