By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Early this week, President Bongbong Marcos hit the brakes hard on the so-called “kamote” mentality festering on our roads — and frankly, who wouldn’t?
Like me, perhaps, you don’t need to be a Marcos supporter to agree with him when he called out the crazies cruising our streets and highways who have all but lost basic human decency like a thug behind the wheel.
As he put it in his vlog: “Ang tatapang lahat, ang sisiga ng lahat… ano na ba ang nangyayari sa atin at parang natural lang ang mga ganitong komprontasyon at karahasan?”
It’s obvious he’s seen all the vile confrontations and rumbles among riders and drivers that have gone viral on Tiktok. We’ve seen them, too: gun-toting, fist-swinging, window-smashing motorists who think they’re gods just because they’re late, angry, or driving a newer car.
The President underscored this fact: “Ang lisensya sa pagmamaneho ay isang pribilehiyo at hindi ito karapatan.” And that, my friends, should start to mean something.
If driving is a privilege, then it’s high time we see that privilege stripped from those who abuse it. The Land Transportation Office must start confiscating licenses, suspending driving privileges, and yes — permanently banning those involved in serious, violent road rage incidents.
Because what’s at stake isn’t just traffic order — it’s lives. A license in the wrong hands is akin to a loaded gun on wheels.
Another letdown is the bystanders — who choose to film instead of intervene, who reach for their phones instead of their conscience. “Umawat sa halip na mag-video.” Instead of being Tiktok’s next trending clip, be the calm in the chaos.
We are not a culture of bullies on wheels. We shouldn’t have to remind grown adults that manners and patience are part of the traffic code, too. Road rage is not a personality trait. It’s a failure of character.
Nakakahiya. That’s not the proper culture and demeanor in the 20th century. That’s not the culture of us Filipinos who’re known for their gentle pride, neighborly kindness l, and hospitality toward strangers. And since it’s the time of Lent, let me add — it’s not the faith we live as a largely Catholic nation.
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