A Dec. 17 morning trip aboard an ordinary mini-bus to Metro Vigan Hospital at Bantay, Ilocos Sur near Vigan City gave me and my wife Nanette a direct experience to literally rub elbows with ordinary commuters from all walks of life–students, government workers, laborers, farmers, housewives, vendors, and among others.
In past days, we used to ride in our private car or Air-con Manila-bound commercial buses whenever my wife and I visited the said hospital for my routine post eye surgery followup checkup by my friendly lady doctor Victoria Ann A. Yao-Rosario, a glaucoma specialist and a Comprehensive Ophthalmology Diplomate from Metro Manila and whose husband comes from the family of famous doctors in Ilocos Sur–The Rosario clan.
Speaking of mini-buses, there’s no room for debate if I say that most of these ordinary Public Utility Vehicles plying in the provinces maybe ought to be phased out from the road under the government’s modernization program on the land transport industry.
Any expert mechanic would generally say that the motor engines, chassis, and all other body parts of these small second-hand buses seem too old and dilapidated which puts the riding public at high risk, aside from air pollution woes. Because of no option, daily commuters take the risk unmindful if their ride is described by pessimists like a rolling coffin, God forbid.
We understand the plight of the small-time operators and owners of these mini-buses. It’s their constitutional right to go to the street and protest against the government action to phase out all 15-year-old PUVs.
Now, here comes the tug of war on opinion over this matter:
Affected driver: Who will feed our hungry family if our bread and butter are taken away?
Riding public: Your smoke-belching PUVs are air pollutant machine that is killing us softly. Worst, can you replace our loved ones’ life and limbs lost in an accident due to your vehicle’s unworthiness on the road?
The debate goes on Ad infinitum.
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ABS-CB END? Popular Singer Yeng Cons-tantino brought out the issue about the fate of the giant TV network that feeds her and thousand fellow company workers. Via recent social media, she tweeted President Duterte to reconsider his decision. The President says he will no longer renew the franchise of ABS-CBN Network for its television and radio stations when it expires this coming March 2020, barely three months from now.
Perhaps, the unpardonable blunder of ABS-CBN in the mind of PRRD was it allegedly did not air/broadcast the paid political advertisement of Prez Digong during the 2016 presidential derby for it allegedly supported the candidacy of Mar Roxas, one of his political opponents, hence, he accused ABS-CBN as bias and partisan.
Is it true that ABS-CBN refused to reimburse the money of DU30 who demanded the return of his money (is it multi-million peso?) after the election as sir Digong claimed.
If Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III, the ABS-CBN honcho, were in the shoes of DU30, would he be willing enough to become saintly to just forgive and forget, and let his tormentor go unpunished?
Maybe, your guess is as good as mine.#
