By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
Laws are crafted by the national legislators, and ordinances are created by LGUs. Many of the laws and ordinances are very good, some are hardly implementable, and some are useless.
Am not a lawyer, but I understand that laws are designed to protect people, especially those who have less in life and opportunities. But as it is now, I think it is the other way around. The laws protect more the big fishes rather than the fryers.
Laws to protect those who have less in life? That’s a big, big fallacy. It is only true in dreamland. It’s in Neverland. It is just a figment of the imagination, unlike the West Philippine Sea which is very real.
In our case, the House of Representatives and the Senate conduct investigations and many public hearings in aid of legislation kuno. Maybe because of lack of imagination by the lawmakers, such activities are done way more than what is necessary. The costs of course are shouldered by the taxpayers.
Of course Congress have such mandate but many times investigations and public hearings go haywire. No aid was obtained to craft a law. In fact, they became just a waste of money precisely because no law was enacted.
As of now, investigations and public hearings are ongoing without let up, especially in regard to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). We have also flood control, among others, as topic of interest.
It is conceded that some hearings are proving to be very useful. They are winners. They even result in the uncovering of Pandora’s box like what is happening to the POGOs. The processes afforded some congressmen and senators to show their flashes of brilliance. We have to acknowledge that. And this is not lost to the people who are interested in following the legislative dramas. They are definitely getting something not in aid of legislation but in aid of re-election. They are exploiting the unexpected opportunities to the hilt for their exposure.
Never mind, if they are not truthful to themselves or to their avowed law-making mandate.
Am sure a lot of legislators are aching to throw their ball into the arena of pretention and theatre of make believe. But we just wait, they have about 2 months to conjure up their own circus and fly like Carlos Yulo of the Philippine gymnastics team. Yes, the filing of candidacies for the midterm elections in 2025 is October this year. So, everyone would like to have their own show in aid of re-election.
The current Congress investigations is rivalling in attention the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics. The current Olympics is having its own controversies that are engulfing the whole world. There is a part of the opening program where The Last Supper was mocked, male genitals were showing and noted even by some children watching. Then there are female boxers who failed the gender test but were allowed to box anyway. These came to the fore when a transgender from Algeria knocked out an Italian fighter in just 46 seconds of the first round. The drama is riveting.
As to our own telenovela, it was clearly shown that corruption has crept in all corners of the government bureaucracy. Some were exposed as protectors or defenders of the POGOs, or even manage them themselves. Others were similarly exposed as liars, and critics without moral ascendancy. That is also riveting.
Let us wait if there will be consequential laws crafted or actions undertaken.
o-o-o-o-o
Just 2 days before typhoon Carina struck (it was a Saturday, before 2pm and there was no traffic), somebody parked his car momentarily at one of the side roads in La Trinidad to answer a call of nature. Just a couple of minutes later, bicycle-riding cops, apparently new in the service, swooped down on the road and immediately issued parking violations to about 3 cars just parked.
After around 5 minutes a concerned driver emerged from the CR. He was surprised to see a traffic violation ticket clipped to the car’s wiper. He immediately went to see the traffic department of the local police and pleaded his case.
He was told that he really violated traffic rules, which is obstruction of traffic. The area is really a no parking area. The no parking sign was placed so high, it can not be easily seen by drivers. He said that anyway, there were just 2-3 cars passing by at that time thus, no traffic at all, and that he was out of the car for only around 5 minutes or so. No dice.
The policeman though was kind enough to offer a 50% discount.
In other countries, policemen ask around first before issuing a ticket. They provide counsel when you are a first offender; no ticket. That was not done with the concerned driver in the instant case.
About 5 minutes after the policemen left, 3 cars parked in the same area where tickets were issued. They were never given the honor of being ticketed.
If the police want to enforce laws or regulations, they should do it at all times, not only during unsuspecting times. As it is, the laws are not really meant to be purposely enforced; they are used to produce income probably to meet their quota if there is?
It’s a shame. **
