The other day in Matina Pangi a 20-tonner truck loaded with soil and boulders skidded on the side when the 5-tonner load bridge it crossed gave way to the vehicle’s weight.
It brought to mind a roughly 15 meter concrete bridge connecting the boundary of Catalunan Grande and Tacunan barangays. The bridge is supposed to replace an old bailey bridge that had been used by motorists either coming to downtown from Calinan or going back, hoping to escape possible traffic mess in the main Davao-Bukidnon highway passing through Ulas where a flyover is under construction.
We have no idea of the maximum load capacity of the old one-lane bridge. We are however, that certain that large vehicles passing the route would be risking the safety of its cargo and human passengers, and the trucks because from the looks of it, the small, short span could not have been designed for more than 5 tons holding capacity.
That old bridge was supposed to be replaced by a new 2-lane concrete connector that had long been finished. But the replacement bridge has remained unusable. And yes, the replacement bridge was completed almost three years ago. Unfortunately, the government agencies in charge of its construction failed miserably to acquire first the right-of-way leading to the bridge’s approaches before the project implementation was started.
So, what is happening now is that the infrastructure is lying idle for so long. Meanwhile, what are the concerned government agencies doing about it? Are they going to wait until a similar incident to that of the bridge in Matina Pangi will happen to the old one-lane steel bridge spanning a creek between Tacunan and Catalunan Grande??
Or, are the top officials of the agencies and whoever caused the idle bridge construction not anymore bother to care? After all, they could have already received what is due them from the contractors? So, what do they care?
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A notoriously popular vlogger, quoting an equally notorious “gold miner” exploring the veins of rich lotharios, posted on Youtube a vlog citing without any iota of hesitation that First Lady Liza Marcos is having an affair with one of her security officers. In fact in her vlog she cited in vivid terms things that a man and a woman in elicit relationship usually do.
The language used is as uncouth as the character of the woman who the vlogger claims as her source of information. Yes, we could not imagine that the source claims to have personal knowledge of the relationship although her claim of acquaintance with the first couple through her paramour was denied by the first lay.
Of course the woman informant of the vlogger never attempted to hide her immoral liaison with a former politician-businessman. She was even proud about it. In effect, the woman source of the notorious vlogger is certainly toxic as to her credibility.
Therefore, it is a given that the vlog itself and the vlogger can even be more toxic But then, who cares about toxicity when that is where they are earning their keeps.
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Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio during a press briefing (or press conference if you wish) claimed with all audacity that she has warned Presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos that if her brother the President will not mend his ways of running the government, she might have the tomb of her late father President Ferdinand E. Marcos, St. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani excavated and his remains taken and dumped into the West Philippine Sea.
Woooo, those brave words. Did the VP hear herself said those statements of hers? What is the barometer that will determine that she will have her threat executed? If we have to read between the lines of her lines, that is, that if PBBM will not mend his ways of running the government, then that will mean she is going to make good her threat between now and May or 2028. But during this time frame Sara is still Vice President. Only if she succeeds in ousting Marcos, Jr. by whatever means will her desire can be made feasible.
The question then is, Is her courageous words matched with raw guts to do it? Can she do it without thinking of the consequences? Our take is that the VP should think not just twice but many times over whether to make good her boast. As Davaoeno it pains and shame us if one among our national leaders coming from the city will do something that will bring our country to senseless turmoil.
