By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has urged local governments in Metro Manila to temporarily suspend their implementation of the no-contact apprehension program/policy (NCAP), citing mounting complaints from motorists.
Vehicle owners feel cheated by automated signal lights that interactively change according to the volume of vehicles but, at the same time, switch without a countdown and only three seconds of yellow warning. So naturally, many vehicles approaching these intersections get caught by cameras driving through a red signal under the NCAP.
Methinks, that’s legalized thievery.
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Since local government units (LGUs) are the automatic beneficiaries of these hefty penalties, it’s easy to understand why some city mayors refuse to suspend the NCAP on the LTO’s prodding.
It’s just amusing that the LTO is taking the cudgels for the cause of motorist rights against institutional abuses. But I guess that also explains why some LGUs refuse to budge.
How does it go? Ang magnanakaw, galit sa…
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Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., through his House Bill No. 108, wants another Marcos-era project – the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant – revived. He claims going the way of nuclear energy ensures cheaper electricity in the future.
If he vouches for its safety, I’d like to see him hold office at the nuke plant.
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The Commission on Audit has admonished the Philippine National Police (PNP) for failing to declare its receipt of 207 donated vehicles. State auditors said the PNP’s books turned up blank about the donation.
Certainly, the COA is not firing blanks.
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Furious, Senate President Miguel Zubiri supposedly told unnamed Sugar Regulatory Administration officials (SRA) officials to resign, warning them of a congressional probe on corruption in the agency.
But isn’t that like being a cop who snitches to drug lords that they better run away real fast because a raiding team’s coming?
Mr. Fast and Furious!
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If there’s one thing Bongbong Marcos and Digong Duterte agree on, it’s prescribing the Reserve Officers Training Course (ROTC) to the youth of today. In alternate terms, these presidents underscored the need for greater patriotism, leadership, discipline, and preparedness for high-risk situations among nearly adult teenagers.
Great sense of urgency to mandate the values of ROTC from two presidents who never took the course!
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Direk Darryl Yap’s “Maid in Malacanang” was undeniably a hit at the box office. His storytelling is compelling for many moviegoers.
Should he follow this winning formula, he’ll profit from future projects like “Yamashita: Bayani ng WW2.”
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Finally, let me share this most amusing post I’ve seen on social media this week, which comes from Facebook user Sid Miller:
“A truck loaded with thousands of copies of Roget’s Thesaurus crashed yesterday, losing its entire load. Witnesses were stunned, startled, aghast, taken aback, stupefied, confused, shocked, rattled, paralyzed, dazed, bewildered, mixed up, surprised, awed, dumbfounded, nonplussed, flabbergasted, astounded, amazed, confounded, astonished, overwhelmed, horrified, numbed, speechless, and perplexed.”
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SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email firingline@ymail.com or tweet @Side_View. Read current and past issues of this column at https://www.thephilbiznews.com