By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

WITH the proliferation of motorcycles by thousands every month in the country, many have long wondered why most still do not carry LTO plates, but notices signs merely indicating number of ORs issued by motorcycle dealers.

This situation explains in part why an unregistered motorcycle is the best getaway vehicles for crime syndicates engaged in guns-for hire, robbery and theft. It has also created a very negative image of riders, with the mushrooming of the kamote riders with their unregistered bikes, violating every traffic rule and ordinance.

The report that the LTO is set to finally put some semblance of order in the streets by filtering owners of unregistered units comes across as a long overdue positive development. However, I seriously doubt it can accomplish this new mission.

Everyone knows that both the PNP and LTO still have not succeeded in strictly enforcing the decade-old helmet law in the country, and now it talks of an attempt to compel strict registration of motorcycles with penalties?

It’s already easy to detect riders without helmets, yet this law is hardly enforced. So to check if motorcycles are registered is practically not doable unless hundreds of violators are fined P10k weekly for the next 6 months!

Here’s one basic problem in enforcing traffic laws and ordinances in the country: Neither LTO or PNP use their vehicles to enforce the laws. Their motorcycle units are used mainly to escort VIPs through traffic!

The only way for LTO and PNP to succeed in this effort is for local governments to compel their barangay kapitans to monitor and report the presence of unregistered motorcycles in their jurisdiction, making them accountable if any crime is committed by a resident using the unregistered unit as a getaway unit.

And since they are at it, the barangay kapitans should already designate their respective kagawads and tanods to help enforce the helmet law for the protection of their own constituents. They should consider a program that requires violators to sign a pledge that he/she will use their helmet at all times, and failing to comply with their pledge should be penalized with community service.

In one stroke, helping instill discipline in the barangays makes communities more aware that there are the personal ad benefits by abiding by the laws.

It’s where the elusive community discipline can start.

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MINORITY’S FAULT.  The seeming never ending debate about the contentious legal issues surrounding the newly amended Internal Rules of the Dagupan Sanggunian cannot ever be resolved within the city government itself.  

There’s no stopping the 7 epaLifes from doing their worst every week, thumbing their noses at their helpless colleagues in the minority precisely because they know the latter don’t  have the political will to set things right by seeking an opinion or a ruling from the DILG.  

The minority, including Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, can huff and puff, but people note how the majority continues getting its way with almost everything, like it did with the original set of internal rules with all the legal infirmities. The 7 epaLifes bungled their situation only when their arrogance became them reckless and forgot how the rule of a quorum  is applied.

The only time the minority filed a case was when the 7 epaLifes created an unwarranted raucous during a regular session last November. It had nothing to do with legal issues.

In a way, the minority can only be faulted for its miseries created regularly by the 7 epaLifes.

In fact, city hall insiders believe the strategy being launched by the majority against Mayor Belen Fernandez, humiliating her and obstructing her programs is far from over. Why? Because she, too, (and VM Kua for that matter) has not made good on her threat to file administrative cases against 7 epaLifes in the majority.  (City Legal Officer Atty. Aurora Valle is  their lead legal counsel, so wonder no more.)

Their failure to file cases like they said they will, clearly indicates the lack or  absence of a strong political will in the city hall. It is palpable and it continues to be a cause for exploitation by the opposition.

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HOW NOT TO REGRET SHOPPING. The rush for Christmas shopping is here, and so are scammers and proliferation of fake products.

The constant warning of DTI to consumers to be vigilant when buying glittering Christmas lights must be taken seriously. It’s not just about getting value for one’s money but to protect one’s properties from being lost in one fire caused by faulty wiring, or overloading of capacity.

Then there is the proliferation of ads online selling and delivering substandard products that are not the same as the colorful description  and impressive photos featured.

The suggestion is: Don’t start the habit of shopping online at this time when one is pressed to shop at the most convenient way.  The worst thing that can happen is for you to find out you’ve been duped and there’s nothing you can do.  I know… I’ve been a victim more than twice!

So, take those trips to bazaars and malls and taking home the product that you picked should be the rule for this year’s Christmas’s shopping. This way, you know that you got what you saw and paid for, not getting and paying what you were made to believe. #

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