All the other gov’t agencies are graft ridden
The headline story of this issue is about graft at the LTFRB on the selling of franchises. It had been going on since time immemorial, so why the big fuss about it now? Well, it is better late than never.
If doing something about it is a sign on how the government really cares for the plight of the people, then past administrations never cared at all. Land transportation franchises are supposed to be free and are given out when there is a public need for a public transportation service at a certain route and an applicant is qualified to satisfy such need. But this is just on paper.
In reality, such are being sold at hundreds of thousands of pesos. Why? Competitors block the granting of new applications and this is usually accomplished by paying officials in that agency. Or, one has to shell out big money because there would be a lot of red tape that will effectively nullify an application.
So it is good the Du30 administration has brought this thing out, but it would be better if they would just immediately “kill” LTFRB officers tomorrow or the next day.
The NTC and Tabuk internet service
Last week there was a story in this paper regarding a dialogue between regional officials of the National Telecommunications Commission, Smart representatives and the LGU officials of Tabuk City. Since the story was just through a picture nothing much was said about what really transpired there.
We are sure, however, that the meeting was civil without the expression of the anger of Tabuk internet users about the lack of action on their complaint which was filed with the NTC last Novermber and is being acted only now.
What should have been done was to angrily tell the NTC officials to resign for their incompetence and for being the lapdogs of the concerned telecommunication companies. Not only that. Said officials should have been “literally” bullshitted for not doing their jobs.
Our very own Estanislao Albano jr. who had been angrily writing about NTC’s incompetence should have vented his anger in public.
We journalists should not just write about our anger against corrupt and incompetent public officers. We should also angrily tell it on their faces in public— much better if this is televised.
Demolished Capitol of Mountain Province
The case on the “illegal” demolition of the Capitol of Mountain Province should run its course. If the demolition was done by a private contractor, then he should be impleaded. The heirs of the former governor who caused it should also be substituted as parties to the case. It will be an opportunity for them to clear the name of the former governor, but if the act would be found illegal then his estate, and /or the private contractor, should answer for the restoration.
So it was a surprise why this was not one of the moves of former Gov. Jaime Gomez. This might be a clue on why former Gov. Leonard Mayaen continued with the demolition even with the protests and a case filed by a noisy group composed mainly of residents of Bontoc. From where we sit, it now appears they were just a noisy or blusterous lot…. this will just embolden future officials to do similar acts.**
