FIRST SAY:
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.
— Aristotle
Many things happen on the road every day, and from these occurrences, government policies are either made, reiterated, or scrapped. Which is just fine because this way, transport policies remain current and relevant.
The latest interesting example is when a driver of a conventional passenger jeepney asked an obese passenger to disembark.
A female passenger was forced off a jeepney by the driver due to her physical size in Parañaque City.
The passenger, who filed a police report against the driver for unjust vexation, also reached out to the LTFRB on Monday and was assisted by the agency's legal department.
The next day, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) reminded transport operators and drivers that they cannot force a passenger to get out of a vehicle due to body size or physical appearance.
It is easy to under the economic reason by a jeepney driver would reject oversized passengers. He just wanted to earn more per trip, and the more paying passengers seated in his jeepney, the better will be his take-home income for the day. A fat passenger will occupy space for two people and pay for one.
In a statement, the LTFRB said body shaming and discrimination of passengers is against the agency's policies.
"PUV drivers are not allowed to double or triple the fare depending on the passengers' physique," the statement added.
It is just right that the LTFRB issued this statement to remind drivers and operators that they will be sanctioned for this transgression.
Meanwhile, the driver in question has already apologized to the complaining passenger, and we hope that this shaming won't happen again.
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Several senators on Tuesday reiterated their call to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country after the discovery of People's Liberation Army (PLA) uniforms in a recently-raided POGO facility in Porac, Pampanga.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian told reporters that the presence of PLA uniforms raises concerns about national security.
"This is clear evidence that POGOs are a national security threat to our nation. It has opened the doors, not only to criminal syndicates, but also to those who want to destabilize and infiltrate our governmental and political institutions," he said.
For Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, the discovery of PLA uniforms corroborates the information shared by intelligence agencies to her committee establishing credible links between POGOs and foreign intelligence assets.
"The implications of these uniforms should send chills down our spine. It is so clear that every POGO has exploited our economic vulnerabilities and that POGOs have now evolved into a breeding ground for crime and a national security threat," Hontiveros said in a statement.
She also plans to file a bill seeking to repeal Republic Act No. 11590 or the taxation of POGOs.
"I said no to that law, at ngayon ibabasura na natin ng tuluyan (and now we will fully get rid of it)," she said.
Meanwhile, Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. said he will support any initiative by the national government against illegal POGO activities.
"We support any and all steps of the government in curbing these transgressions against the prevailing rule of law in our country, and we stress that national security, welfare and the safety of our citizens should always take precedence," he said in a Viber message to reporters.
Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said the PLA uniforms strongly indicate that the extent of scams by POGOs is "beyond comprehension."
"Authorities investigating this POGO hub should thoroughly examine the extent of operations carried out by the suspected criminal syndicates associated with Lucky South Outsourcing Inc.," Estrada said, stressing the need to know exactly how the PLA uniforms are being used.
On the other hand, Senator Grace Poe said "the scale and breadth" of illegal POGO operations in the country have become "appalling and costly" for Filipinos.
"The recently discovered POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga was too expansive that authorities estimate they will need more than a week to inspect the entire facility," she said.
"For every operation against a POGO, the government spends millions for the personnel needed, food and shelter of the rescued, deportation of undesirables, filing of court cases, and other related expenses," she said.
Poe said banning POGOs will not only stop their illegal activities, but will also save government resources, which could be spent on social services instead.
Before these senators add some more lame and ineffectual thoughts, this corner chooses to remind them that President Xi Jinping himself asked President Digong and Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia to end the operations of POGO in their respective countries.
Hun Sen complied but Duterte did not, thus the reason why POGO is still in the Philippines, even after two years that Duterte was gone from Malacanang, and Bongbong Marcos took over.
Then, as regards the PLA uniforms. Real spies and sleepers will not bring military uniforms or anything to identify them. But there could be an explanation to this, Senator Jinggoy. Have you heard of Tanim Bala, Tanim Shabu, Tanim Baril, and other related tricks?
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