The report quoting Davao City’s Third District Congressman Isidro Ungab as saying the Bicameral Committee report of the reconciled version of the 2025 proposed General Appropriation Bill has numerous expenditure items with blank spaces for the amount is not “fake news,” or so the lawmaker insisted.
We fully agree with the Congressman. It was not “fake news.” It is a legitimate information worth disclosing to the public. But it cannot be discounted that the lawmaker, a former chair of the powerful Appropriations committee of the Lower House, may have used the incorrect document that made him immediately take advantage to get back at the Congress leadership. The Third district lawmaker became more of just a “shadow” in the Lower House when the rift between former President Rodrigo Duterte and incumbent President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. created a huge chasm between the two former allies. Congressman Ungab is identified with the Davaoeno former President.
Now the issue is likely to become a battle of credibility of two documents. Ungab’s claim is based on the “defective” Bicameral Report due to the many blank spaces intended for the amount of the expenditure items. The allegations which was the basis of FPRRD’s immediate chastising the President for signing the Appropriations Bill has been vehemently denied by, not only by the President and his Executive Secretary, but also by some of the Bicam members.
We believe that it would possibly strengthen Ungab’s allegation of the defects in the Bicameral Committee report if he can produce an entire official copy of the report, have it photocopied and provided members of the mainstream media.
He cannot rely as to the authenticity of his source if the Congressman just show it by page in the social media platform. He knows for a fact that with modern technology, especially the use of “artificial intelligence” (AI) documents are highly vulnerable to manipulation.
So, why not the Congressman secure an official full copy of the Bicam Report and show it to the mainstream media if any of them will entertain doubts on the legitimacy of the electronic copies given them?
We are certain that securing an official copy and having it a reference for any Doubting Thomases among mainstream media people will be a major redeeming factor for the lawmaker.
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Here is an “antidote” to the negative impact of the report from the global Traffic Index that Davao City ranks No. 8 among cities in the world with the most chaotic vehicular traffic situation on its major streets.
We are referring to the report published in this paper yesterday that Davao City ranks third “safest city” in the whole of Southeast Asia. The accolade is based on a study conducted by the Numbeo Safety Index. The city got a safety index of 72.6 topped only by Chiang Mai in Thailand which garnered a 76.5 safety index, and Singapore which had an identical 76.5 to that of Chiang Mai.
The Numbeo Safety Index is a global data base that assesses urban safety through existing crime rates, law enforcement efficiency, and citizen perception.
Davao City is fortunate that the Numbeo Safety Index does not include as parameter the safety level of people from vehicular accidents. If the same is included being number 8 as most chaotic traffic situations in the city’s major thoroughfares, the likelihood is that Davao may not have made it to No. 3 safest to reside or roam around whether day or night.
Unfortunately, the Numbeo assessment report did not mention the specific time frame covered by the study. Had the period covered been specified, we would have known if the relatively low crime rate include the ones during the period when the new police leadership in the city was installed.
If it did then the commitment of the current police director to pursue the law enforcers’ mandate to secure the city’s peace and order is attained.
Again, we are elated with such feat that Davao City has achieved. The City’s local civilian officials, the police, and the people in the communities deserve everyone’s congratulations. It is this well-coordinated effort that makes every endeavor in a particular local government attain its desired objective.
We are hoping that in the very near future the burgeoning traffic condition of Davao City’s major roads will eventually be eliminated by using approaches that at times may not be popular but a necessity.
