Sleeping on the job

SIt’s a good thing the vessel came from South Korea. What if it came from the communist North Korea and it carried ballistic missiles? Aw, ulbo na tang tanan

ome government agencies are literally “sleeping on the job” in performing their respective functions. Consider this: The Bureau of Customs and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) were caught flatfooted in connection with the “importation” of millions of kilos of shredded plastic waste materials from South Korea. Residents of Tingub, Mandaue City discovered it when they complained about the stench the sacks of trash dumped in a private compound. Then, the media exposed it.

Had the BOC done its job, how come the waste materials were unloaded from mv Christina that docked in the port area? It’s the primary function of the agency to inspect foreign vessels. What’s the agency’s intelligence and enforcement unit doing? Had they inspected the vessel, the BOC could have issued a warrant of seizure and detention and immediately took custody of the vessel. After proper documentation and imposing the necessary penalties, they could have sent the vessel back to its port of origin.

But the bureau only acted on it when most of the waste materials were already unloaded and brought to Tingub. It’s a good thing the vessel came from South Korea. What if it came from the communist North Korea and it carried ballistic missiles? Aw, ulbo na tang tanan. The BOC is only good with smuggled items like rice and hot cars where they can make money. Wala man silay makuwarta ato kay basura man maong gipasagdan na lang nila. Mga inutil.

On the other hand, how come the City Environment and Natural Resources of Mandaue City was the one that discovered the dumping of the trash in Tingub? Like the BOC, the Environmental Management Bureau of the DENR only came into the picture when the media exposed the issue. Now, DENR officials are claiming that the shipper and the consignee, Moving Forward Global Trading, have no “importation permit” from DENR. Why? Did they expect the shipper and the consignee to secure a permit knowing that they are “importing” waste materials”

*** Another agency that is “sleeping on the job” is the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Why? Because the agency failed to monitor and act on the abuses and anomalies committed by big bus companies like the Ceres Bus Lines.

Ceres fielded several units with the same body and plate numbers. This means that these units are definitely colorum as these do not have franchises. It was Barili Councilor and Mini-Bus Operators Association of Cebu president Julie Flories, who discovered the anomaly. He spotted the “twin units” inside the South Bus Terminal and took photos and posted these on his Facebook account.

LTFRB 7Director Ahmed Cuizon vowed to investigate the matter.

If the LTRFB is doing its job, how come this bus company brazenly violated the law on franchise? Pila kaha ka unit sa Ceres ang mga colorum? Karon pa molihok ang LTFRB kay mabisto naman. Maayo lang ni sila manggukod sa mga gagmay’ng operators pero sa mga dagko, walay nahimo. Pero ambot og gi-aksiyonan na ba? If you ask them, they say they need someone to complain so they can act on it. Why? Can’t they act on it motu proprio?

Flores is willing to act as the complainant because, according to him, this is unfair to other bus operators. But I doubt if Cuizon can impose disciplinary action against the company. Inutil

gihapon ning LTFRB.