The current vehicle I am driving is still sporting a temporary plate since I bought it from Toyota in 2016. Still having a temporary plate is not my fault but by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) who failed to release me a permanent plate.The agency’s warning of possible fines and penalties to motorists whose vehicles sport temporary plates will not affect my car since only those registered from July 2016 to July 2018 will be apprehended. My car was registered February of 2016 which according to Jun Antonio, LTO XI Law Enforcement Division chief, the plates of owners who applied prior to July 2016 remain pending because of legal issues that needed to be resolved.
“They are still unsure when these plates will be released,” he said.
I do not worry whether my car plate will forever sport temporary plate for as long as I religiously renew the registration of my car with the LTO and pay for its insurance coverage.
My only concern is Jin Lorenz who is now driving for me. Although the problem lies on the legal issues raised by the agency that has to be resolved by them, I still have to worry when some eager and uninformed LTO law enforcers will stop the car with my son behind the wheel.
LTO should assure us that the days of kotong law enforcers in their ranks are already corrected unlike before when ‘money talks’ in apprehending motorists. My son, being new as a legal driver, is not used to this and might give way to the vices of some apprehending officers even if the temporary plate is not of his fault.
What I am suggesting here is for the LTO to continue telling its people on the street the importance of discipline while dealing with motorists. Maintain decorum and always bear in mind that the rights of others should always prevail and to never counter this with an animal approach – approach na ginagawa ng askal!
Nonetheless, I am still hoping that the LTO will solve the problem. Requiring motorists for immediate registration of new vehicles and eventually annual renewal of the registration without issuing permanent plate is a clear highway robbery as we call it in street parlance!
Paging the attention of Transportation Secretary Martin Delgra on the matter. Attorney, kailan ba uli maglalaro ng tennis ang mga anak natin?
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The new warning of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to candidates against giving donations including churches during the campaign period in compliance with Section 104 of the Omnibus Election Code, which regulates donations, is quite suspicious in the sense that it includes the church that the COMELEC in the past elections never mentioned while warning candidates.
I believe that the poll body is now influenced by Malacanang whose occupant’s early morning punching bag are the Catholic priests. Anyway, I can’t blame him as I also agree with him in attacking church people.
“Beware! This is one of the most important, yet ignored provisions of the Omnibus Election Code,” Comelec Commissioner Luis Guia said.
The law prohibits poll candidates including their spouses, relatives, campaign managers or representatives from donating cash or in kind to churches.
While we always hear this kind of warning from the Comelec every election year, citing the Omnibus Election Code, we also noticed that the warning seemed only on paper but never been enforced legally. Violators continue to grow in numbers as no one has been reported to be put behind bars.
If I am not mistaken there is also a Comelec rules that the names of donors of tarpaulins to a candidate should identify their names and addresses below the tarpaulin. Some donors followed, but many ignored the Comelec. We heard nothing from the poll body, and another election and warning are again reverberating all over, polluting the air.
And while the Comelec allows candidates to receive donations from anybody, why prohibit candidates from donating to church? Hindi ba it’s better to give than to receive?
I remember some closing remarks in a valedictory address of a graduating student who said: “I am graduating now, not to receive but to give.”
Let the Comelec and the candidates learn from it.
